Attended Event-Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 9:00AM – 12:30PM-Brace Firecorp Training: BRACE Pensacola Firecorp Monthly Training, Escambia County Public Safety (6575 NW St, Pensacola, FL, United States)

  John Thomas Winskas Attended Event:

Attended Event-Saturday, March  22, 2025 at 9:00AM – 12:30PM-Brace Firecorp Training: BRACE  Pensacola Firecorp Monthly Training, Escambia County Public Safety (6575 NW St, Pensacola, FL, United States)

Instructors: Firecorp Q&A instructor & Philip Switzer

• The BRACE Calendar event listed the Firecorp training at 150 w. maxwell st.
• Got ride from dad/father to the BRACE building at 150 w. maxwell st. at around 8:40am 
• A sign on the door read that the Firecorp training was moved to 6575 NW St, Pensacola, FL, United States the Escambia County public Safety building.
• After reading the sign on the BRACE door; Got back in the car and got a ride from dad/father to 6575 NW St, Pensacola, FL, United States.
• Arrived at the public safety building around 9:00am
• Philip Switzer was tending the door to let me in the public safety building when I arrived.
•  (BRACE Firecorp instructor) instructed the class about the Firecorp procedures
• Reviewed BRACE Firecorp responsibilities & Procedures.
• Asked Brace Firecorp instructor about BRACE Firecorp volunteer scheduling.
• Spoke to Frank about potential volunteer opportunities (as a hopefully soon to be licensed HAM radio operator) that he knew about from his own experience as a HAM operator;
• He mentioned RACES and MARS that I remembered were also mentioned in my amateur radio course as potential organizations to look into.
• I asked about FEMA requirements for HAM Radio volunteers as I have previously read an ARES Training requirements manual/list; and he was unsure of the requirements for RACES and MARS.
• Worked with Caleb to practice taking Blood Pressure, blood oxygen levels, pulse, temperature, and breathing rate (asked Frank a few questions about taking blood pressure, blood pressure wrap alignment, tube alignment, and proper spacing from elbow) Filled out practice BRACE Firecorp medical vitals documentation for Caleb. (Frank Explained that breathing rate may not always be necessary if the firefighter wasn't stressed/under normal conditions. I marked the breathing rate as <20 because Calebs breathing rate seemed normal.

Asked Bonita about Firefighter and BRACE Firecorp ICS overlap.

• Asked when it was appropriate/necessary for BRACE Firecorp members to contact the BRACE team lead to notify of health issues or give statues updates for rehabilitation treatment of firefighters being treated. Also asked about BRACE Firecore members independence of action before contacting the BRACE Firecorp team lead is necessary etc.
• Also asked about the firefighter intake, cooling down, and re-entry process that BRACE Firecorp volunteers need to adhere to when a high temperature is measured.
• Participated in 2 BRACE Firecorp training scenarios
• Scenario 1 acting as a firefighter being taken in by the BRACE firecorp volunteers
• Put on and removed a firefighter jacket 
• handed the jacket to the Firecorp corp equipment volunteer
• Had my name taken down by the Team lead/admin
• simulated as being from station 4
• Had a badge filled out and given to me to wear for the scenario
• Was given a bottle of water
• Was told to sit at the last chair of the row of chairs near an imaginary cot
• Scenario ended before the medic and scribe recorded or took my vitals
• Participated in Scenario 2 as a medic taking the vitals of two of the BRACE Firecorp volunteers.
• Used Blood pressure monitor, pulse/ blood oxygen reader, and an IR thermometer to take the vital signs of two BRACE firecorp volunteer scenario firefighters (Josh & shaun/shawn? (Spelling unknown).
• Josh, Shaun/shawn, and the scribe (whos name I don't remember), were very helpful in answering any questions about the vitals taking process and equipment; they also offered advice about how to properly use the vitals equipment and corrected my use of the equipment when necessary. 
• They also advised me on issues I had with the pulse & oxygen blood level taking equipment. 
• There was initially an issue with Joshes pulse reading from the bloodpressure monitor that I recall being above 100bpm according to the bloodpressure equipment. That conflicted with the pulse & oxygen blood level monitors reading of around 65
• There was an opposite issue with shawn/shauns pulse rate as the blood pressure monitor read around 65-70 (I don't fully recall) that conflicted with an initial reading from the pulse & oxygen blood level monitoring equipments reading of 81, 74, and 80 during 3 separate readings.
• Communicated vital signs to BRACE firecorp volunteer scenario Scribe (who's name I don't remember).
• Noticed what could have been an issue with the sign-in sheet during scenario 1; notified the team-lead/admin of scenario 1 of the sign sheet error; the team lead/ admin notified me that she just overlooked or didn't notice the sign-in sheet while collecting and recording the information from the other the BRACE Firecorp volunteer scenario 1 stand-in/pretend-firefighters (BRACE firecorp volunteer (Caleb) and I), during the 1st scenario. 
• The BRACE firecorp instructor and the BRACE Firecorp volunteers than had a discussion about the scenario.
• My dad/father then gave me a ride home.

I look forward to continuing to volunteer with BRACE CERT!