Road Traffic Collision course - RTC

Day One – Saturday 16^th December 2017.

So, the training wheel keeps rolling, and just a couple of weeks after completing our Recruits Course, the wonderful team are back for our Road Traffic Collision course – RTC for short.

There was lots of classroom input to start with before heading outside to start learning the practical on how to take apart a car safely, with a casualty, or even many casualties in it.

It was like we had never been apart, we all told stories of our first shouts, except Dan, who hadn’t had any, he’s at a very quiet station most of the time! Our teamwork shone through again, as we worked together to stabilise a vehicle, manage glass and create space to aid casualty recovery.

There was a lot of theory on the first day, but all absolutely necessary for the following days of practical.

Day Two – Sunday 17^th December 2017.

A day of practical, in the rain, but we didn’t seem to notice too much.

We learnt about gap creation, dash roll and dash lift, we got to work with spreaders, cutters and rams, it was brilliant to finally get our hands on the gear we have all been logging on the inventory, and looking at longingly.

We pretty much tore about, piece by piece, methodically, 3 cars, then we had a Mercedes to finish. We were tired at this point, the other cars, we had been commended on how well we did, but we all seemed to fall apart slightly on the final car. It wasn’t horrendous, but it did put all our good work the rest of the day to shame slightly. Big lesson though, as 'On Call' Firefighters, we have other jobs, lives to lead, we will be tired at times, woken at ridiculous times of the morning, our heads need to be better in the game. We need to make sure we are rested when we can, fuel ourselves with food and water when we can. This job is a life-changer in so many ways.

Day Three – 18^th December 2017.

Assessments – both practical and written! Our favourite thing……..not!

We started the day with the written assessment, it was a lot tougher than we thought, we had to write a lot, and somehow I finished mine way ahead of everyone else and ended up drinking tea, alone in the rest area upstairs. Eventually everyone else came up to join me, and then I was worried I hadn’t written enough. Turns out, I’m just a speedy writer, and we all passed!

Our practical assessment was in the rain, we were greeted by two assessors, oneof which had trained us in our recruits course.

I can sum the practical up in just a few words, manic, sweat, teamwork, passed!

We really did sweat our wotsits off in that assessment, but we worked together, and got the casualties out safely, in not too bad a time.

The reality of what you think will happen on the course, as to what happens on the course is a very different thing, and I’m not going to lie, it’s tough. The whole process is tough and not to be taken lightly, but at the same time, it is so worth it.

Time to say goodbye to the chaps as we go away and Christmas looms over us; our next meeting will be in Exeter, the BIG course, and the one that we have all been waiting for.  Roll on January 6^th!