Friday, November 21

Stop, drop and have a gin and tonic

Today I had to accompany Aislin on a school excursion to the local CFS station. Something I was thrilled about as you can imagine. It's a 10 minute walk from the school but as Aislin is on crutches it was decided that she should be driven...normally the Principal or another staff member would drive her but that couldn't happen today so it was me. Hurrah.

The CFS* presentation was entertaining for the children, they learned all about the service and the different types of emergency they attend, then some fire safety stuff like 'Stop, Drop, Cover & Roll' and 'get down low and go, go, go' (personally I prefer the Macarena but whatever). They also learned how to strap someone into one of those rescue stretcher things and how to work the Jaws of Life.....all useful stuff for 5 year olds. The highlight was that the kids all got to ride in a fire engine.

While we there it started to rain....really, really heavily. The plan was to have a snack break in a local park then walk (except us) back to school. That plan was changed. I spent some considerable time ferrying Mums back to the school to pick up their cars, then we crammed all the kids into various vehicles and drove them all back. Normally this requires a special permission slip to allow your child to be driven in a private vehicle by another parent. Seemingly when the choice is to break the rules or get really wet, breaking the rules wins.

Once Aislin and her classmates were all settled back at school with their snacks I left to run some errands, I had some shopping to do and a birthday present to buy and some pharmacy items to purchase (you get the idea...like I said...errands). I got home with enough time to unpack the groceries and eat a bowl of cereal for lunch (cornflakes if you're wondering). Then it was back to school to pick up the girls and rendezvouz with my brother and sister-in-law for a child hand-over as we are looking after their boys this weekend. Now I'm home and hiding from all those children out there until it's time to go and throw them a dead Wildebeest prepare them a nutritious meal. It's going to be a four cocktail weekend I can tell.

*Despite my lighthearted comments I want to say that the CFS are some of the most incredible people in existence and they have my undying respect, admiration and gratitude for what they do. For those of you that may not know this, in this country the standard Fire Service only serves the metropolitan area, anyone outside that area is under the protection of the CFS (or other rural fire services depending where you are). The amazing thing about these rural services is that they are staffed almost entirely by volunteers....especially the firefighters...all volunteers. Did you get that? These people fight fires FOR NO MONEY AT ALL. Highly trained and experienced volunteers but volunteers nonetheless. See all those enormous Australian bushfires that you see on the news? Volunteers fight those...and volunteers from rural fire services in the various states and territories will travel to wherever they're needed to fight fires if necessary. Most of them have jobs and they take time off work to do this. But it's not just bushfires...if my house caught fire? CFS. If I was trapped on a cliff? CFS. If I was lost in the bush? CFS. If I had a car accident and needed to be cut from the wreckage? CFS (admittedly if all this really happened to me I think the CFS would be getting pretty pissed off). They do it all. Sadly there have been occasions that a CFS firefighter has lost their life doing this. And they don't even have to be doing it. They choose to volunteer and in doing so risk their lives for all of us.

The CFS is awesome.





6 comments:

Dave said...

As a matter of principle, I'd demand that the (ahem) Principal take his/her own vehicle.

Sorry to let you down, but Australia doesn't feature on the news here, fires or otherwise. Oh, except when they lose at cricket.

Anonymous said...

Too much important British news to report I expect, no room for international news.

Yes, I should proof read my posts. In principal :-)

laoi gaul~williams said...

mmm hope the tribe enjoyed the wildebeast :D

british news is so utterly crap (sorry!) todays headlines were...madonnas divorce, like what sane person would consider that news when you look at what going on in the congo etc...grrrrrrrrrrrr

laoi gaul~williams said...

by the way how are you enjoying 'northern lights'? it a fantastic read :)

Z said...

The equivalent of our RNLI, if opposing elements can have an equivalent. Which I don't see why they can't.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean Lee, the commercial TV channels here are like that, fortunately we have a two non-commercial channels that actually report news....I watch those ones :-)

I loved Northern Lights, I've got the other two on reserve from the library...hope they don't take too long!

Yes Z just like the RNLI, they do an amazing job too (I have an uncle who used to be a volunteer with them).