The Triumvirate as a Success Story

Aside from spending my (free?) time teaching Fire and EMS classes, I am enrolled in the county's Command School. This is basically a series of National Fire Academy classes as we as some State and County leadership training. So this past week I found myself as a student, and not an Instructor.

It was a welcome change. Unlike the students in the basic firefighting and EMS classes, the wearing of uniforms, shaving and such are entirely optional. Classes at this level are a lot more informal: there are fewer students (in this case there were 7 people, unlike the core classes of around 50), we (the students and the instructor) have all known each other for a few years.

This was my kind of class, and this is the environment where the baldest member of the Triumvirate really shines.

The class was "NFA Emergency Response to Terrorism - Tactical Considerations for the Company Officer." The course material provided little in the way of actual tactics (i.e. just how far do you need to be from a car bomb, a small incendiary device, biological weapons etc). In fact, I think the entire class could be summarized with the following statement:

"Treat a terrorism incident like a large Hazmat incident."

So what do you do when you have 12 hours of class time when the course can be summarized in 1 line? You goof off, crack jokes, tell stories. All related to the topic at hand of course.

for example:

T: "When dealing with a large mass casualty incident, the press and public tend to get upset when you just leave bodies lying around."

me: "Well the bodies clearly don't, if they did - they'd move."

**

T: "Yeah, I really had my dick ground into the dirt on that one."

**

T: "Man, I really hate the guy who manages the vending maching [this was break time], he only comes here once a week to bring me stuff. I really really hate him."

me: "Damn, I hate to ask what you think of Santa Claus"

**

Some other highlights were when two guys in the class who have a history of mutual intense dislike almost got into it.

Anyway, the class itself was awesome. The Triumvirate member in question is much better dealing with smaller advanced groups than the basic core classes. He (understandably) wants to provide all the information the students need in the real world, but unfortunately that does work when they're trying to figure how to tie a rope to a tool. I had taken Fire Officer II with him and 3 other people. It was excellent. Much discussion. Here's hoping the tools in the current class will last long enough to enjoy the baldest Triumvirate in his element.

Coming up: Module 1 Skills Final tomorrow. I wonder how many will fail.

I can't wait.