Elder Mountain Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Proud to be an American and thankful for all who sacrificed for this great country!

Members of our department knocked out the classroom portion of the Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) over the last couple of nights. 6 hours of useful information to digest.

Next up is scheduling our driving practical.

Much appreciation to Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue for hosting the class!

Spent some time researching the issue of a single person operating our deck gun. It is a scenario that a small department like ours might experience.

One would have to climb up top to point the gun in the proper direction. Then they would have to climb back down to charge the gun at the pump panel. Another climb back up top to operate the deck gun.

We use stacked tips. What if we need to remove a tip to change the water flow/pattern. If all alone, more climbing.

Our solution - a ball valve shutoff was installed on the deck gun. Went with it over a gate valve.

Now a single person can charge the gun, climb up top, open the ball valve, and flow water. Need to take off a tip, just close the ball valve, remove tip, and open back up.

Initial testing passed with no issues.

One of my best buddies and an old firefighter from Indiana finally made it over to the fire station to build an air pack compartment and tool closet for our engine. He’s also one heck of a carpenter. We can now safely store our extra bottles and SCBA’s in a single compartment. And no more pike poles and fire rakes falling out when the door is opened.

The motto of Training Tuesday was - “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”

We spent some time talking about cribbing, its many uses and limitations, how to construct a support system, and proper placement.

Team members then put on gloves and goggles to make some new cribbing for Engine 1. There’s nothing like the smell of pine in the evening 😎

When someone appreciates what you do for them - that makes all the sweat and effort worthwhile. This gesture of thanks has months of positive energy for our department in each word on the paper.

We went spent Training Tuesday responding to mock fire call. We practiced catching the hydrant and deploying multiple hose lines. It was also good exercise using our radios for all communication. A few neighbors came down to watch and ask questions. It was an eye opening experience for them and a great to have the community support us.

Three of our volunteers successfully completed the 16 Hour Firefighter I Live Burn this weekend. They endured the heat and demonstrated the skills that they have been practicing on for weeks.

We congratulate them and also our brother from South Pittsburgh Mountain Volunteer Fire Department on a job well done.