9/21/2009

Fire-drills


Every second Thursday we practice fire-drills to prepare us for potential disasters. I have been on the Emergency Medical Team for a few months now. Not sure how I managed to accomplish that. I'm a stretcher-bearer. I'm guessing it's because I'm fit and healthy.

Some weeks are boring and we are not called to attend to any (fake) victims, but other weeks they put a lot of effort into making the situation as believable as possible - like the time in these photos. On another occasion, we had to carry a fully grown man up several narrow, winding flights of stairs from the engine room to deck 3. Quite a workout.

Today I finished a training course in Crowd Control. I now have a certificate that certifies that I can control crowds and keep order. Hmmm. As we approach the sail in December, our drills are going to become more intense and unpredictable. Words have been mentioned that suggest we may even have one at 4AM. As fun as they are, I pray I'll never be called to deal with a real emergency situation.