Mika+Formal+Essay

I chose this Essay because it was a major moment in my life. It tells the story of the big step I took towards achieving my goals in the future, and it is something I am proud of. I also chose this essay because it was the easiest one for me to write. Defining Moment On the evening of September the 14th of 2009 my life became an adventure full of excitement. This was the day that I finally became more a part of the community; I was now a member of the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department. One might ask who would fight a fire, or ride to the scene of a motor vehicle accident or medical emergency to help someone and not get paid for it. This is a question that Volunteers answer each and every day. I not only wanted to Volunteer because it’s a stepping stone to get into a paid fire department, but I wanted to Volunteer because of the brotherhood, sense of pride, and the fact that I get to help people in my community. My dad was the one who originally got me interested in firefighting and told me it was something he wishes he would have looked into pursuing when he was my age. Night after night I listened to him gallantly telling me details about how great a job it was, the great benefits, and the pride that come with it. So I did what I do when I’m always interested in something; look it up on the internet and find out more details. After spending hours reading about firefighting and watching videos on YouTube I was hooked. I immediately went to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department webpage and downloaded an application. The next day I decided to talk to my best friend’s dad who has been a member of the Department since 1986. He filled me in on all the details and told me to meet him at the firehouse the next Monday to turn in my application, and to attend the monthly business meeting. The next Monday finally arrived and there was a mixture of nerves and excitement running through my body. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived, but I couldn’t wait to get there. When 6:00 rolled around I jumped in my friend’s truck with him, his dad, and my dad and we set off for the firehouse. When we arrived, I got out and immediately went to the Assistant Chief to turn in my application; my heart was throbbing with nerves at this moment. I went to the meeting room, sat down with my friend’s dad, and the meeting started. The business meetings occur on the second Monday of each month, and when an application is turned in it is tabled at that meeting for 30 days, and then hopefully you get voted in at the next meeting. At the end of the meeting another candidates name was called, and it was his moment to see if he would become a member. They finished tallying the entire yes’s and no’s and I heard the President announce “34 yes and 6 no, welcome to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department.” At this moment the only thought that ran through my head was “I can’t wait for that to be me.” Never in my life has a month gone by so slow than that of August and the beginning of September. After I attended the business meeting I decided to show up to the drills that occur on the Monday’s when there isn’t a meeting. I wanted to do this so I could get a feel for the department, and meet all the members, to understand better what it is they do. I couldn’t wait to partake in all the drills that I was attending. Slowly the days crept by and finally September 14th arrived. It was hard for me to sit still on this day and I couldn’t wait for 7:00. I finally made it to the firehouse around 6:30 and all I could think about was hearing that phrase “Welcome to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department” directed towards me. Once the meeting started I sat in my chair fiddling with my fingers waiting to hear my name announced. The meeting dragged on and finally I heard my name called, and suddenly my heart started racing, and my palms became sweaty. I heard the president say “34 yes and 3 no, welcome to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department.” I have never been so excited in my life than what I was at that moment. Once the meeting was over I drove home and triumphantly told my parents the good news. They were very ecstatic because I had now started a new chapter in my life. The next Wednesday I arrived at the station and was able to finally get my gear. One of the Lieutenants went over all my gear and showed me how to put it on properly. Later that evening, the same officer was going over all the fire trucks with me when suddenly the bell rang, and all the guys ran furiously to their gear racks. A call had come in for an 85 year old man who was unconscious, not breathing, in cardiac arrest, and in need of CPR. The firefighters frantically donned their gear and jumped into the truck formally called Squad 2. Suddenly the blinking lights came on and they were off. The sirens and the horn blowing got my adrenaline rushing in a way I have never felt before. I was the new guy at the station, but when that call came in all I could think about was wanting to go and help. In order to ride you have to pass the pre-basic test, and I couldn’t wait until the day that I could finally ride and go on calls. I stood around the station for approximately 45 minutes when I finally heard a diesel engine in the distance signaling the return of Squad 2. The firefighters jumped out of the truck, Gatorades in hand, and went to return their gear to the racks. I would remember this night for a long time. On October 18th the department held an open house to celebrate our 75th anniversary. This was an exciting day for me because a lot of the community showed up, and it felt good to know that I was finally a member. The open house consisted of fire prevention activities, a fire truck pull, a live fire in our burn trailer, and live vehicle extrication with EMS assistance. During the day I saw many kids excitedly listening and participating in the fire prevention activities. This made me reminisce on the days when I was a kid making sure I knew how to stop, drop, and roll. My favorite event of the day was the live vehicle extrication. This event consisted of the tones being set off, Squad 2 and Ambulance 295 arriving on the scene with lights and sirens, and cutting the car apart to get the patients out and into the ambulance. It was as real as gets without the two victims inside the car actually being injured. It was a good day not only for me, but also for the department and community. Another moment I will remember was a drill that I went through on October 21st. I have never done anything so challenging but also fun at the same time. The drill we went through was a small room with tables and obstacles in the way, and all the lights off. This was to simulate being part of a search and rescue in a house fire and not being able to see anything, but instead crawling on your hands and knees in full gear including the SCBA tank (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) feeling your way around. The objective of the drill was to crawl around the obstacles and feel my way around using my senses until I found the victim on the floor. The first time, my partner and I did it perfectly without a glitch. The second time, however, was more difficult because after finding the patient we had to drag him out. So my partner and I went into the room and slowly crawled around, but this time I had a thermal imaging camera with me. As we crawled around I was feeling the walls and finally felt a doorknob. I opened the door and my partner and I crawled through the tiny hole to the other side. I scanned the small space with my thermal imaging camera and spotted the victim pinned against the wall by two chairs. My partner and I headed over to the victim only to find he was wrapped in rope which was used to simulate hanging wire. After a few minutes, we finally moved the chairs and got the rope untied and started to drag the patient out of the small area until I found a second door. I opened the door and pulled the victim safely out of the room. This was a good experience for me to go through; it helped me work on teamwork and to make quick decisions. Joining the fire department was a big step for me and it is something I don’t regret. I’m receiving the skills necessary to become part of a paid fire department. My preferred department would be the District of Columbia Fire Department, and even if I do become a part of the DCFD I still want to volunteer in my spare time right where I started….. in Mechanicsville. When I became a member I have never been more proud of myself, and I finally had the chance to make a difference in someone’s life. I’ve learned it’s not as easy as people think it is, but it’s worth it each and every day, and I always look forward to learning something new. Now that I’m a part of this department I feel as though I have a bright future ahead of me and I look forward to it.