Day Two

Tuesday July 19, 2011

Today we started the day with Lan giving us a devotional on our rooftop on Timothy.  The background was perfect with the sunrise and volcano as a background.  This is a truly beautiful country.   After our morning devotional we began to prepare for our classroom portion of our training by setting up tables and making sure the power points worked.  We had over 60 Guatemala Firefighters show up for our RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) training.  Ross did an exceptional job teaching and explaining what RIT is and why it is important.  I followed Ross’s lesson by explaining how RIT operates inside a building and how to locate a downed Firefighter.  We had lunch provided for us by the Guatemala firefighters.  After lunch Clay taught how to access a downed firefighter.  After Clay, Rich followed with Rescue Techniques.

We had a skills session set up and we instructed the Guatemala firefighters on a blanket drag, one-person drag, two-person drag, dragging a firefighter upstairs, and dragging a firefighter downstairs.  We finished all our instruction around 4:30pm.  While Team A was instructing, Team B with Chase, Jim, Kevin, and Chad began building their props for scenarios on Thursday and Friday.

When our classroom training was completed we rode with Pepe the Assistant Chief for Guatemala who took us to their central station for a tour.  Our team had the honor of meeting the Chief of Guatemala.  The station tour was a unique experience in that we saw the apparatus, living quarters, and dispatch, which is completely crazy.  Their dispatch center consists of 5 operators who work 24hours on 24 hours off.  They answer all the emergency calls for 13 million people.  Five operators are responsible for the whole country and that is amazing.  The other amazing part of the fire station was the firefighter pole and yes we all slid down the pole like little kids with a new toy on Christmas.

We left Central Station and headed to Station 69 which is a volunteer station who we are truly focused on in helping with training and assisting on calls.  Our team provided dinner for the station crew and enjoyed fellowship with them. As I am writing this blog Chad and Ross responded to a shooting in downtown Guatemala.

This trip has seen the hand of God in many ways.  From the bunker gear making it here, having over 150 firefighters be able to hear our testimony, and God allowing us to share his word and love to the people of Guatemala.  God is GOOD

Mitch Gray – DFW FD