This weekend the members of the AAFD continued our rope rescue series training with Rope 3. Basically, we did a lot of hanging around, with members practicing at handling a victim, getting the victim into a stokes basket, and moving around the littered victim for patient care while on rope.

We will wrap up the training portion for ropes this coming weekend, then test for Pro-Board Certification on April 26th and 27th.

For those who are not members of the AAFD or otherwise affiliated with our organization, maybe just citizens of the community who like to check the website every now and then to see what we've been up to; please note the location of our training in these pictures. We not only utilized our indoor training mezzanine; but, our exterior high-angle ropes training facilities as well.

This outdoor area has us hanging above and congregating on the paved roadway connecting our front and back parking areas. The roadway also continues to Brickyard Road, thus making a connection between Brickyard and Route 228. Many in the area like to utilize this as a "shortcut" to avoid school traffic or the lights at the intersections, although it is clearly labeled that this is not permitted. While we were training, numerous vehicles tried to take this "shortcut", to the point where we had to move vehicles into a blocking position to protect our firefighters and other students attending our classes. This of course caused these vehicles to have to turn around, and express their displeasure with our measures in some not so understanding ways.

Not only could this be a safety concern during training, but if the timing is right and a vehicle cuts through as we are pulling out on an emergency call and comes around the corner of the building blindly, a collision may occur with our responding apparatus. Not only may this cause injury or damage to the vehicles and the occupants, it will delay our emergency response when another citizen of our community may be in desperate need of our help. Please, please, please stop utilizing this "shortcut" to save a mere couple of minutes. Someone's life and safety depends on it in a multitude of ways.

I will be sharing this to Facebook, and I ask that all the members of our organization and communities we serve do the same. Share it on your personal wall, to our local community's pages, and to your friends. We do not want to see our firefighters hurt. They risk enough already!! Thank you.