Ambidextrous abilities

In the fire service we are required to know the function and use of a plethora of tools and equipment. We are also required to use them in austere environments, under low light conditions, high heat areas, on rooftops, and in ditches. Often times we train with our tools in relatively difficult situations, therefore building our confidence that we can operate better on a real scene. But how often do we train on the tools we use everyday with the non-dominant hand?

There is something that happens to people when they are forced to do an everyday task with there lesser hand, some sort of disconnect occurs turning Dr.Jeckyll into some sort of cross eyed Mr.Hyde. We throw footballs straight into the dirt, write like a 4 year old, and swing a bat like were having a seizure. Sounds a little bit like some guys on scene...

When I was a kid my left eye began to shut down and my right eye took over. I started off life as an everything left hander but when my eye failed I was forced to learn most tasks right handed due to the fact that I had better vision on that side. I have since regained most vision in that eye but that ordeal left me in a sort of ambidextrous state. Writing, drawing, and eating left handed but shooting, throwing, and  sports right handed. Go figure. However my condition is not common and most people are not able to do even one thing with the opposite hand.

Heres the problem and how it relates to the fire service. Say were on a roof to vent and the only possible hole location forces you to switch to your lesser side. Do you feel comfortable operating a saw on a roof with say your left hand? What about an auto extrication? We all know about pinch points and how you never want to put yourself between the tool and the car. However, on occasion this can only be truly successful if we switch hands and change our stance. We just got a new rig at my station with the ladders stored inside, however the 24' extension is placed in such a way that to pull it out feet forward and "bed to head" you have to carry it on your left shoulder. I know for me even being left handed carrying and throwing a ladder on my left side is incredibly awkward.

There are a few simple ways to begin training yourself to be more comfortable working with your lesser hand. Small ways to start would be eating with said hand. This begins to train your hand/eye coordination in a controlled atmosphere, just maybe dont do this at the firehouse, you may look a tad ridiculous at first. One of the ways to practice when youre at work is when checking off the truck in the morning try all your check offs with the lesser hand. If you carry saws on the rig, set the choke and pull start it with the lesser hand. Pick it up and run it up while holding it the opposite way. Youll be surprised how uncomfortable you are with the torque of a K-12 when you arent using your dominant hand any longer. Even the extrication tools are good to train with, hook them up and open and close them then same way you would usually but exchange hand positions without setting them down. Also when you get out and pull lines, try placing them on the opposite shoulder and operating the nozzles backwards from usual. One thing I do when working out is sledgehammer strikes on a tractor tire, but I switch up the stance and hand grip I use to really perfect my swing no matter what side im on.

Once you get the swing of things try putting yourself in legitimate training scenarios in gear and operate  the way you would just with the other hand. Get on some roof props and cut some holes with an axe and saws switching up your grip and stance.

These things may be uncomfortable and awkward at first but constant training with the lesser hand will only make you more of a master of your craft and give you the confidence to know you can handle the tools of the trade no matter the position you are in. Not to mention giving yourself the ability to work with both hands essentially doubles your working ability and only improves your safety and the safety of those around you.

Remember the fire doesnt care where you are or if you are comfortable swinging an axe on your other side. The only way to build confidence is to practice ambidextrous operations in the everyday simple tasks. Get out and train and encourage others to do the same.

Tire tube helmet bands

So incase you havent noticed, Im the kind of guy who likes to make things myself. Not sure if I get it from my upbringing or the fact that im on a firemans salary and cant always afford to buy commercially made items, and I dont really see the sense in buying something I can make myself. The latest thing i've made around the house is a few helmet bands made from the tube of a tractor trailer tire. I figured i would include a few pictures of the process so you can give it a shot yourself. Or message me and ill mail you one of these.

First youll need to find a tube from a tractor trailer tire...Good luck. I asked around a few shops until I found someone who actually had one in their garage. But still any shop that does these tire changes is bound to have one or two blown tubes laying around. 

 The second thing youll need is a solid pair of scissors, I used a pair of North American Rescue trauma shears. In my opinion these are the best shears out there. Buy your own pair here.

 Find a ruler and mark out your lines at the desired width. Making sure to line up one end even. If you try and cut with the curve youll end up with something you dont want...trust me.  

You lose alot of material this way but you get a straight cut.

 You can only make a few at a time before your hand cramps up. But with a little help and some ingenuity you can make enough bands for your firehouse and then some. 

Not to mention, they kind of have a cool design to them...

2014 Perfection

I was reading this article on turnoutblog.com about the soldiers at the tomb of the unknown soldier, and it got me thinking. It got me thinking about the new year, where I have been, where I plan on going, training, goals, etc. But mostly had me thinking about training and how it relates to my job.

If you havent looked into what it takes to be a guard at the tomb of the unknown solider, I would recommend taking the time to do so. It made me really desire to visit the tomb one day and view first hand the changing of the guards.

There are so many lessons one can take away from the guards here, especially as it relates to the fire service. These guys are masters of their craft. They know the job inside and out, it means everything to them and they strive for perfection. Now we all know perfection cannot be achieved, as we see in the article I posted above, where one of the guards failed inspection. But this is one mistake out of tens and maybe hundreds of thousands of changeovers over the past 92 years. Have there been others? Sure, but they are so rare they are almost mythical.

These guys commit their lives to this job,  they commit everything they have to those 21 steps, those 21 seconds, and the changing of the guards presentation. They perfected it. Fewer than twenty percent of volunteers are chosen and only a fraction of those actually pass the rigorous training required to be a sentinel.

When it comes to our job, we train, we get dirty, we go back, shower up and rest. Are we actually "mastering" anything in that? Now I understand our job entails many more functions than the sentinels have to deal with while on guard, but what if we treated our riding position as our very own guard mat?   What if we took the handful of functions we are required to know for our seat on a first due fire and strived to perfect them? Is that possible?  No, because our job is ever changing and fires are never the same, but if we aimed to perfect a few specific tasks it would be safe to say we would become pretty dang good at it. Not perfect, but excellent. Just as the sentinels, while they appear so, arent perfect but have mastered the job they are expected to do.

If we put the time and effort this next year to mastering our craft as it relates to our riding position (while still keeping fresh on everything else), We could have an impact on the crew around us. And if one whole crew was striving to master the craft of their apparatus imagine the effect on scene it would have on a whole battalion, and if a battalion was striving...well...you get the point!

Just as only a few percent of soldiers make the cut to be a sentinel, so are there a few percent of firemen who are sold out to the job. But it starts with the few percent. Be a virus, infect the others with passion!

Always remember, we arent perfect, were human. We will never know it all, and when we think we do its time to go home.

"We will be relentless in our pursuit of perfection. We wont ever be perfect - but in the process we will achieve greatness."  -Vince Lombardi