The Stand-By...

As indicated in the previous blog post, where I work there’s a fire protection requirement both Fire Brigade and ARFF wise. The ARFF stands for “Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting” if your not familiar with the acronym. I had the honor to spent a stretch in the USAF as an ARFF Fire Fighter and greatly enjoyed doing the job of serving. To have a 2nd opportunity to be able to do this type of fire fighting in the civilian sector doesn’t come around very often. When it does it’s pretty neat. Very neat!

Yesterday, I was on an ARFF Stand-by for an aircraft at work. I missed blogging about it due to my extra activities after work. A basketball game that I thought was schedule but wasn’t and a Haz-Mat first responder class after that which started last night. It was pretty much a full evening with no desire to sit down typing at a PC to blog when sleep at 1130 pm looks so much better. Sleep needed is always the winner. Besides I took today off, sleep in, got that 1st cup of coffee, and now catching up doing the blog thing before working on that bathroom floor. Oh goodie, start to work on the bathroom floor is a good reason for the day off…oh what a joy that’s going to be today, me as Mr Carpenter. lol

As always though, getting back on subject … on any Aircraft Stand-By I give my full attention to what is going on with the aircraft, air crew, and ground crew around on the flight line. That is the job of The Stand-By, “Eyes on the Aircraft.” To give anything less then your full attention gives a sense of not seeing the importance of the detail at hand. Why even be on The Stand-By crew in the first place if you don’t give your full attention? To be at a ready state on a Stand-By on a flight line is an important discipline and at times has a “wow factor” but the importance of the job at hand should take precedence.

On this Stand-By it was longer then usual, with adjustments being made, and what some would say some what routine. Then I got thinking and thought how can The Standing-By on an aircraft that has thousands of parts moving every direction be routine? It’s far from being routine. The air crew going through there checklist being supported by the ground crews and me along with my other team members in place Standing-By if the proverbial stuff hits the fan. There’s a lot going on when you start looking at it and breaking it down into it's parts. Looking at these parts make you better understand the whole flight operation with everyone doing their part and to better understand The Stand-By.

There’s another saying I like to mention that really applies to the fire protection field as a whole on the operations side, and that is…

“A battlefield does not give an opportunity for study, one does what he can to apply what he already knows, therefore, it is necessary that he know thoroughly and be able to use his knowledge quickly.”

Any potential fire ground can be a fire fighter’s “battlefield” very quickly at any time. So when I think of that during this Stand-By as well as any Stand-By, I’m watching the actions of the air crews on the aircraft go through their checklists, through their flight deck windows. I’m watching the ground crews actions go through their steps that are required to be done. Any actions that are outside what is the so called norm, alerts me to go into action. If told before hand by the air crew or ground crew that maybe you’ll see more smoke then usual on start up I won’t over act but remain in my ready state, continuing The Stand-By, watching & observering, ready to act if needed. The key is not to over react, but be ready if you have to act you can do so immediately without delay.

I spent many an hour on The Stand-By while in the USAF and to be able to do it again is only to continue to sharpen the ARFF skill set that makes me a better fire fighter overall. Well, its back to that bathroom floor project. lol