20060519 Fire Extinguisher Training

When you were a child did your mother ever tell you not to play with fire? One of my favorite aspects of being a park ranger is being able to do things my mother told me not to. Like play with fire. As part of motorboat training we had a chance to actually use a fire extinguisher on a fire, not just talk about it. Granted the fire was in a wheelbarrow, but the experience was exciting none the less. We were able to ignite flares as well. Oh what fun.

Today marked the end of motorboat training, with a knot-tying exam, a throw-bag throwing test, and a comprehensive written test in addition to the fire extinguisher exercise. I am happy to say that, while I was not a particularly stellar motor boat operator, I am now officially certified to operate a government boat. WooHoo.

My time in Alaska has included a number of firsts for me. Of course, this is the first time I have visited this wild and woolly place, where in Anchorage my long hair and beard and drab attire allow me to blend into the crowd. I flew in a float plane for the first time. I have seen many bird species for the first time. I have operated a power boat, squeezed the trigger on a fire extinguisher, and ignited a flare all for the first time. While my first brown bear sighting may not have been the first in my life as I visited Yellowstone as a child, it was the first that I remember. Speaking of childhood, this seems to be not my first but my second.