Blog #3

 During the week with the Shaker Heights Fire Department, I watched and participated in some of their training. The first day I was with them, they were practicing rescuing one of their members from a burning building. In this situation, two of the firefighters had to crawl on the ground to avoid the smoke and communicate with the firefighter that needed assistance. An important piece of equipment they used in this drill was a bag with an extra air tank and mask in case the rescued firefighter needed different equipment. We also spent time working with the RTA, so the firefighters knew what to do if there was an emergency with one of the trains. During this experience, I learned that RTA trains are very dangerous because of the engineering of the trains. The train is an electrical train, so they are very quiet, which can cause people to not hear them when they are coming. The instructor of the RTA information course explained that the trains average one death a year because pedestrians do not hear the train coming. The train runs on an incredibly strong direct current, which if the power lines are damaged, runs a great risk. The lines can cause electrical fires or live wire dangers if not handled correctly, so the firefighters were informed that the control station needs to be called before they take any action, so the control station can stop the flow of electricity to the power lines. After learning about the RTA’s trains, I had the opportunity to climb the ladder on one of the fire trucks. At about 107 feet in the air, I was able to see downtown Cleveland from Shaker Heights. While I was attached to a climbing rope and wore a helmet, when the firefighters climb the ladder all they can wear are gloves. During the week with the Shaker Heights Fire Department, there were not many calls, but I really liked to experience all of the training that is required to ensure the safety of their community. 






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