Very cool, but not a FART

Not really related to WLS and getting skinny except in the most tangential manner. I passed the class and driving test, and now I can drive the fire trucks. I can drive the tanker immediately, but I'll have to learn how to operate the pump (and be certified) before I can drive the engine to a fire. The chief told me outright that pump operator is a high priority for me, too. For the moment, I'd still rather be on a hose...

Oh quit with the humility stuff.  You are kicking butt and taking names it sounds like. Congrads on all the progress, successes, and accomplished training.  Again,...no small feat.  I have three friends that are firemen.  How long before you make Chief??

Hopefully never I'll settle for Captain...

Bob, you sound like a true Jaker already..."I'd rather be on the hose"!    You'll come to realize that no hose man is anygood without a reliable engineer!  When I stepped in to the Chief's role 10 years ago this September I thought my real "firefighting" days were over.  As Chief though I come to accept that 1) I'm responsible for everything on the fireground and even sometimes for my guys when they've all gone home.  and 2) It's really pretty cool to be able to say, "Grab than line" or "Let's load up that truck"...and then have 20 other guys break the sweat to do it!!  I do SO relate on how your weight loss can make being on the department all that much more enjoyable though...I use to have to pretend it wasn't embarrassing the hell out of me that I had to make 2 or 3 attempts to get my lard butt pulled up into that Engine!!!  Life is SO much better now, and I'm only half -way to where I want to be! Congrats!

In all honesty, when you cut away the swagger and bravado, I'm pretty sure that I'll wind up running the equipment when I'm too inflexible to do the rough stuff. My real talents are in that area anyway, and the Chief sees that, hence the push to send me to pump operator school. While I can still move, give me a Halligan and an airpack...