Day 1 Afternoon

After things had settled down in response to our first call, we grabbed a small snack before we decided to head out to test the water rescue boat that the crew had just received back. After suffering damage during a water training exercise, the crew was anxious to get the boat back out on the water and push its limits. When we arrived in the proximity of the Franklin Dam, we got the boat close to the water, and then put on our wet suits. These were perfect for such a blustery day. After feeling cold for most of the morning and afternoon, I was finally warm inside this insulated suite. It comprised of a full length body suit, protective gloves, and a helmet. The crew joked about Firefighter Jenkins' maneuvers in the water, and how I should be careful in order to ensure that I don't fall out. I didn't think they were serious until Firefighter Jenkins gave me specific instructions to listen to his commands as he drove the boat in order to make sure that I didn't fall out. The boat sputtered at first, but then took off. I was amazed at the power of the boat and the teamwork between the Firefighter Jenkins, who was driving, and Firefighter Robert, who acted as the spotter. The spotters job is to look for obstacles in the water and instruct the driver in a direction in order to avoid them. We reached the dam after pushing the boat to near top speed, as well as doing a few doughnuts in the water. Just as we arrived back at the truck, and began to reset the boat onto the trailer, we got another call. Firefighter Jenkins and I stayed behind and reset the boat while Firefighter Robert and Captain Goodearl went ahead to respond to the call. Unfortunately, Firefighter Jenkins and I didn't arrive in time to assist with the call. We then headed back to the station, where we got a light lunch and started our next task. The Franklin Fire Department has recently acquired and new engine and because of some of the specifications of the truck, it can not handle some of the streets in the city. Therefore, it was our responsibility to go to specific streets throughout the city and take pictures of the truck progressing up and down the hills of the city of Franklin. After this task was completed, our afternoon was wrapped up and we headed back to the station.