Hi TJ,
From age 8 I learnt surf rescue with the local life savers. As a teenager, I joined the SES, State Emergency Service and assisted in many emergency events, cyclones, floods, body recovery work in my local area. I progressed through different levels of training for many different situations. Our regional group also entered competitions where emergencies were simulated. Living in sth East Qld, we did have many events and I was called out regularly during summer to fix tarpolins to roofs, as well as assist the state police in seaches for lost children, adults, & evidence.
My working career started in the Defence Force and I was able to do some extra courses with them which were not associated with my field.
Absailing, Parachuting, Fire Fighting. On leaving the force, I became a volunteer fire fighter, as well as First Aid.
I lived on my boat so did a couple of courses in survival at sea. My travels then took me to some very remote parts of Australia, where I learnt bush survival and remote first aid. The positions I was employed in there were not run of the mill such as crocodile handler/tour guide for a croc farm. We were trained to enter cages and breeding sheds so we could select and cull croc for skins.
For some people this is very stressful, I on the other hand loved my weird jobs and the remote areas I lived in.
Then in 2009 within a three month period,
I was the victim of an armed holdup. Some fool put a gun to my head. I turned to see it in my face and knocked it out of his hand. I actually thought it was a plastic gun and thought he was trying to sell it to me. (I know I'm a dickhead) but in that split second, I told him, get the gun out of my face, fool, and then heard it hit the ground. That is when I realised it was real. He ran, I ran after him, (he had my passport) I had his gun, he was caught and all was well.
I witnessed a machette attack in a market place and was able to respond with first aid unfortunately the young boy died.
My truck, which I was driving was involved in an attempted hijack, unfortunately I was by myself, managing to dump my minder that morning and consequently in the middle of nowhere. I got myself back to safety and called for backup. All good in the end.
and finally, A woman died from a food allergy (MSG) in which the food came from a kitchen I was responsible for. I was not on duty that night, and a new chef had used the MSG against my instructions. This was the last straw for me.
I packed up my bat and ball and was out of the game.
I received help over a period and within a couple of months moved to NSW to start some cold water diving.
But my confidence in my abilities was shattered.
It took sometime before I felt comfortable again in the water. I questioned my own ability to train others, and wondered if I really can be an instructor when my physical capabilites were no longer that of a younger woman. I felt useless.
In May this year I travelled to Solomon Island, and was involved in an incident at sea.
We ran out of petrol in very rough seas. Although not the skipper of the dory, it was my training that stopped a bad situation getting worst.
My confidence was starting to return. When I returned to Australia, I decided to further my marine training, and recently completed confined space fire rescue training.
Interesting enough, the one female team (both of us 50) completed the task with the most air in reserve, in the shortest amt of time, and all dumbies were recovered. We were within a minute of the record. The other male teams did not score so well. These young guns, ran out of air, stuffed up in communication with base, and only managed to recover one of a possible three dumbies.
My lessons were this.
Yes my physical capabilities are less than years ago.
but my understanding of emergencies have evolved.
I do have to ensure that I talk about events and not bottle them in.
Rescue courses have always been my favourite course to teach.
I am a hard task master, but not as hard as what I have witnessed and learnt from others whom I admire and respect.
Extra courses in any situations I believe will hold you in good stead.
I have been fortunate to have training from a young age, and parents that believed in encouraging me to participate in volunteer emergency services as they did.
My father is a special man, and when I felt situations were scary would say to me,
kiddo, stay in the moment and know your capabilites, that is all we can ever do really.
