Conan Report

I took the dog to his first VFD meeting and training session, which was on the setting up of helicopter landing zones for extractions. As you know, this is something that comes up from time to time and it's important for younger or newer members to learn. 

He was a big hit with the firefighters, although being a puppy he slept through most of it. I did pass him off to our training captain to hold for a little while during my turn at operating some of the equipment. She enjoyed the opportunity to hold a puppy. 

2 comments:

raven said...

Just a caution here- dogs have a hard time with operating helo's- it is very difficult for them to hold the cyclic and the collective without opposable thumbs. Thus, do not be disappointed when your dog seems slow on the uptake- it just takes a little extra time. Sometimes a little velcro on the paws can help as a training aid.

Cats, of course, spend half their lives in the air at impossible attitudes, so flying comes easy to them. On the other hand, they are notorious for ignoring tower instructions.

Grim said...

Don’t worry. The VFD never attempts to fly a helicopter. We’re there to set up the LZ command, partly to assist the medical teams but mostly so there’s an engine company on station if the bird crashes and starts a wildfire.