Sunday, October 15, 2017

The 52-week photography project: humans of Grand Island

For week 34 of the 52-week photography project, the challenge was to tell the story of a stranger. At the Grand Island Fire Company's open house on Friday, October 13th, I found two people, who shared part of their stories with me. One is a fire company cadet, who was giving water bottles and hats to kids, and the other is a member of the fire company, who serves as an emergency medical technician. She was available to answer questions about machinery that is used to save lives.

Question: What motivated you to become a fire cadet?


Patrick: My dad, Pat, is a firefighter in Buffalo and I have always had a love for the job. I like the people, and I like to serve the community. I also like all of the cool equipment and the fire truck. I've been a fire cadet for one year and am a senior at St. Joe's. I want to go to college and study law. I'd like to become a public defender or a prosecutor. I really like the event today. There are people here from different schools, and everyone is having a great time.

Question: Could you explain this equipment to me?


Shelley: This is an AED (automatic external defibrillator). You can find it in public places, such as banks and gyms. The larger tool is a Zoll AED. It is high end. We can determine rhythm rate and can detect irregular rhythms. We can transmit the information to the hospital. If we find that a patient is experiencing a lethal rhythm, we can put him on medications and an IV. Twin Cities Ambulance transports the patients to the hospital.

We are certified first responders. We have EMT (emergency medical technician) basic and EMT paramedics.

And a reminder from instructor Charles Jones about fire safety: Always have a planned escape route and two ways out of any room.

Next week: check back for a new theme in the 52-week photograhy project.


I am taking part in The Write Tribe Problogger October 2017 Blogging Challenge  (Hyperlink this to: http://writetribe.com).   

#writebravely #writetribeproblogger

20 comments:

Nidhi Garg said...

reminds me of my first fire safety training

Martha said...

They both look very proud to be doing their jobs!

Sandy said...

Looks like both are having a ball.

Jeanine Byers said...

It was neat to read about them!! I hope all goes well with his plans for college.

Kebba Buckley Button said...

Alice, you've found two dedicated first responders! We are blessed to have so many interested in this specialty, in this country.

BarbRad said...

I'm always happy to find people who love their jobs. I attended a National Night Out event here where the local police department had officers, including the Chief of Police, partying with the public. They brought their vehicles and let the public see many aspects of police work and ask the officers questions. The children also had activities designed just for them. I love it when we can meet these people in non-emergency situations.

Rajlakshmi said...

What an informative post. And it's so wonderful to see people passionate about others safety.

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan said...

As an anaesthesiologist, I get to work with AEDs as well... The high end stuff which determines rhythms and all. It's literally a life saver at times.

Godyears.net

Mahathi Ramya said...

Its good to know about firefighters. Their service attitude is great.

Reema D'souza said...

Its nice to see people being passionate about what they do! And yes, every person has a story to tell!

Karen DeMartin said...

Thank you for highlighting these two!! Pat is one of my favorite cadets, he ALWAYS has a smile on his face and is very respectful to anyone he meets!! Shelly is a class act, she is great at her job and puts people at ease with her smile and laugh. Thank you for taking the time to get to know them!! ��❤

sulekkha said...

It's heartening to see people working at jobs that help others. Serving the society and making sure the people are safe is noble work. So glad to see the young man motivated to serve. A positive post to brighten the day, thanks.

Obsessivemom said...

Sounds like a great challenge - getting to know a stranger's story, his likes and dislikes and his ambitions and aspirations would be fun.

Surbhi prapanna said...

Really an Inspiring post, I always love to read about those people's lives who serve the nation and do their job with constant motivation. thanks a lot for sharing this with us.

Rashmi's Space said...

Wow! I like this concept of getting to know about strangers' lives. Only goes to show how open and good everyone can be, if only one tries. This is so important in today's world. Thanks for sharing this Alice.

Shilpa Gupte said...

it sure feels so good to see people coming forward and showing an interest in serving the community!

Vinitha said...

Loved reading about these two personalities, Alice. What a wonderful concept, to tell the story of a stranger! This was informative too. :)

Nupur said...

People who are passionate about a cause are a treasure. It was great to read and know about the firefighters.

Parul said...

I’m very impressed to know that the challenge demanded you to talk to strangers. Not an easy feat. Glad to know about these men.

Nut-a-tut said...

Nice to know how firefighters work.