Jeff Palensky
Day 3
Woke up this morning early (05:20)after sleeping pretty hard last night. Willow fire had the alarms go off in the middle of the night and they have really loud house tones(speakers inside the station). In my confusion I was wondering if I needed to go on the call or get to the bathroom. Regardless, I think we all slept very well.
Our goal today is to get to San Fernando just outside of LA where we will stay with a friend of Eduardo’s. they have promised us food, drink and sleep. We are about half way there and have stopped at the, “In and Out” for a greasy meal. The temperature is warming up and is getting to the hot stage. It will be nice to sleep outside.
Must get rolling again.
- Jeff Palensky
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Day Two, part 2
The drive from Klamath Falls to Willow was beautiful with views of Shasta and surrounding mountains. The weather went from very cold to pretty mild within a few miles. It is now fairly pleasant and none of us would mind sleeping in the rigs now. We can’t seem to get the fuel thing down, it seem that every 100 miles one needs to be fueled. In Klamath Falls we opted to fuel all the rigs and get them all on the same track. The attendant filled them all and we left. Eduardo was complaining about the amount he had spent to top off the UP fire engine. It was a lot because it was the first time we actually got the tank full. The attendant only filled the other tank to a half and we didn’t catch that until a ways down the road. Arrrggghhh!!!!
Made it to Willow, just north of Sacramento, were we stayed at the Willow Fire Dept.. Erik Kennedy a FF/PM was gracious enough to offer up the empty space to sleep, coffee in the morning and shower. Thank you, Willow Fire!!!!!!! It is great to sleep indoors and be able to extend your legs all the way.
In the Morning an early start and we are staying in San Fernando tomorrow. The drive should prove to be some long days ahead as we are a day behind schedule.
- Jeff Palensky
Made it to Willow, just north of Sacramento, were we stayed at the Willow Fire Dept.. Erik Kennedy a FF/PM was gracious enough to offer up the empty space to sleep, coffee in the morning and shower. Thank you, Willow Fire!!!!!!! It is great to sleep indoors and be able to extend your legs all the way.
In the Morning an early start and we are staying in San Fernando tomorrow. The drive should prove to be some long days ahead as we are a day behind schedule.
- Jeff Palensky
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day Two Report
Day 2 Start 06:00
We slept in the vehicles at a rest stop last night. Maybe sleeping isn’t the right term; it was more like lying somewhat horizontally. The temperature was around 35OF. (Note to Self: 55oF sleeping bag isn’t warm enough for 35o F temps) Eduardo only has a couple of blankets to use so I gave him my extra thinking I would be warm enough.
We opted to take Hwy 58 to 97 instead of sticking on I-5 since there are fewer hills to climb. The one hill we did climb, ended up being slow and steep. We reached Willamette pass around 10:30 which got us to around 5100’ ft elevation. Throughout 97 we stayed at around 4500’ft and it was a beautiful drive with clear roads.
Our vehicle problem occurred about 70 miles from Klamath Falls in the middle of nowhere when the ambulance’s temperature light came on. The problem I was told, is the thermostat had locked shut not allowing the fluid to circulate through the engine thus overheating it. Apparently it isn’t a necessary piece of equipment to run the vehicle either? Luckily we have some handy people on the trip to take care of these minor inconveniences. They fixed it in a jiffy and were back on the road.
Next stop in Klamath Falls for fuel up.
- Jeff Palensky
Jeff's Day One Report
This is Jeff's day one report that he sent me by email.... Thursday, January 15, 2009 Time-16:15 WE ARE ON THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!!! We are a touch late from our original estimate of getting on the road by 06:00 this morning. Due to some technical issues we were forced to start at a later time. If it weren’t for our dedicated crew of workers it would have been a lot later. I have to say thanks to Ed Henning from Central Pierce Fire and Rescue for all of the time he put in trying to get our rigs on the road. He has spent the last four days fabricating a tow hitch to the engine and the front of the truck. Thanks Ed!!
We have a convoy of 4 rigs that will hopefully take us all the way down to Guatemala and be useful to our firefighter friends for years to come. In front we have a 1979 Ford Fire Engine donated by East Pierce Fire and Rescue currently being driven by Eduardo and accompanied by me. Really close behind us we are towing a 1979 Chevy pickup truck also donated by East Pierce. We are a slow moving convoy since the lead engine only travels at around 50 mph. So far we’ve only had a small amount of communication in our rig due to the overwhelming sound of the engine and my poor Spanish translations.
Behind us are Wyatt and Sean driving the 1981 Chevy Van also donated by East Pierce Fire and Rescue. It comes equipped with an assortment of snacks and drinks, plus a flat spot to lie down during those long days of driving. From what the boys tell me there isn’t a lot of heat in the rig either. Brrrrrrrrr!!!
Bringing up the rear we have a 1982 E-One Pumper donated by the University Place Fire Department with Chris in the Drivers seat.
We have had a generous offer from Maria Palensky for dinner and a place to warm up for about an hour. Since we got such a late start our goal for tonight will be around Eugene Oregon. Should be a good Drive and I’ll let you know what we had for dinner.
Dinner was excellent, chicken, rice, and fresh greens paired with the finest bottle of……….water. Dang, I wish it was paired with something else. It was a wonderful meal prepare to perfection. The drive to the house was very foggy and slow but worth the time.
We made it down, just north of Eugene where we will stop for the night at a rest stop.
It is cold and Foggy but the driving, the hitch and all else went without a problem.
We have a convoy of 4 rigs that will hopefully take us all the way down to Guatemala and be useful to our firefighter friends for years to come. In front we have a 1979 Ford Fire Engine donated by East Pierce Fire and Rescue currently being driven by Eduardo and accompanied by me. Really close behind us we are towing a 1979 Chevy pickup truck also donated by East Pierce. We are a slow moving convoy since the lead engine only travels at around 50 mph. So far we’ve only had a small amount of communication in our rig due to the overwhelming sound of the engine and my poor Spanish translations.
Behind us are Wyatt and Sean driving the 1981 Chevy Van also donated by East Pierce Fire and Rescue. It comes equipped with an assortment of snacks and drinks, plus a flat spot to lie down during those long days of driving. From what the boys tell me there isn’t a lot of heat in the rig either. Brrrrrrrrr!!!Bringing up the rear we have a 1982 E-One Pumper donated by the University Place Fire Department with Chris in the Drivers seat.
We have had a generous offer from Maria Palensky for dinner and a place to warm up for about an hour. Since we got such a late start our goal for tonight will be around Eugene Oregon. Should be a good Drive and I’ll let you know what we had for dinner.
Dinner was excellent, chicken, rice, and fresh greens paired with the finest bottle of……….water. Dang, I wish it was paired with something else. It was a wonderful meal prepare to perfection. The drive to the house was very foggy and slow but worth the time.
We made it down, just north of Eugene where we will stop for the night at a rest stop.
It is cold and Foggy but the driving, the hitch and all else went without a problem.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Cold night
I just got off the phone with Jeff. He indicated that they slept in the ambulance last night. Apparently, the 55 degree bag he brought did not quite protect him from the sub-freezing temperatures. Fortunately, it will only get warmer for them as they get closer to their destination.
So far so good as far as the driving goes. They have chosen to bypass Medford and the Mountain passes along I-5 by going through Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Jeff has had problems connecting to the internet to blog their progress so we will try to keep every one posted.
So far so good as far as the driving goes. They have chosen to bypass Medford and the Mountain passes along I-5 by going through Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Jeff has had problems connecting to the internet to blog their progress so we will try to keep every one posted.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Thursday, January 15, 2009
And they're off....
They are on their way! The team left Puyallup this afternoon shortly after 4pm. Please keep our dedicated road crew in your thoughts and prayers as they make their way to Guatemala. We will post updates as we receive info from the drivers. The drivers will also post updates as they are able. Thank you for your support!
Link to our Facebook group:
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS HELP FELLOW BOMBEROS IN GUATEMALA
CONVOY TO GUATEMALA DEPARTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009 AT 9AM
PRESS RELEASE
The mission of the BRAVE (Bomberos Resourceful And Valiant Efforts) Foundation is to improve the firefighting efforts, health care, and education in developing countries by providing support for a sustainable future. Firefighters and other special individuals from around the United States have found a rewarding humanitarian purpose working in support of bomberos (Spanish for firefighters) who generously assist under privileged and under served populations.
The bomberos are no different than firefighters in the United States. They work tirelessly to help their public through medical and fire emergencies. Most of them are volunteers. They often do not have the proper equipment to meet the emergencies demands or adequate training in firefighting and EMS techniques.
This is an historic week for the BRAVE Foundation. Four donated emergency vehicles, loaded with thousands of dollars in donated medical supplies and equipment, will depart Pierce County to be driven all the way to Guatemala by a dedicated team of volunteer drivers. All supplies and vehicles are donations from local fire districts, hospitals and clinics, as well as from generous individual donors.
The BRAVE Foundation President and Founder, Paul Embleton, has been granted a leave of absence from his position as Captain/Paramedic with Central Pierce Fire & Rescue in order to complete the current project in Guatemala. In 1998, with the support of Rotary Clubs in the U. S. and Guatemala, Capt. Embleton helped to establish the first EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) program for the Volunteer Firefighters of Guatemala, providing the necessary training, equipment, and apparatus to provide both basic and advanced pre-hospital care to the sick and injured. The first graduating class consisted of 12 individuals of the Bomberos Voluntarios de Guatemala. The training soon became sanctioned by the medical college in Guatemala City and the program continues to expand. The BRAVE Foundation is proud to announce that, to date, there are a total of 14 EMT programs throughout Guatemala.
So far, more than 50 Emergency Medical Technicians, paramedics, nurses, doctors, and others have volunteered their time to travel to Guatemala and provide their expertise with training programs. The Guatemalan bomberos have gained the respect of doctors in hospital emergency rooms for their skills in providing a higher level of medical care to the patients.
Courage and dedication know no boundaries. The BRAVE Foundation seeks to improve the efforts of firefighters and medical personnel in developing countries to become self-sufficient by providing access to progressive training programs and efficient facilities and equipment.
To follow the blog and provide your support of this important journey, please visit www.bravefoundation.org.
PRESS RELEASE
The mission of the BRAVE (Bomberos Resourceful And Valiant Efforts) Foundation is to improve the firefighting efforts, health care, and education in developing countries by providing support for a sustainable future. Firefighters and other special individuals from around the United States have found a rewarding humanitarian purpose working in support of bomberos (Spanish for firefighters) who generously assist under privileged and under served populations.
The bomberos are no different than firefighters in the United States. They work tirelessly to help their public through medical and fire emergencies. Most of them are volunteers. They often do not have the proper equipment to meet the emergencies demands or adequate training in firefighting and EMS techniques.
This is an historic week for the BRAVE Foundation. Four donated emergency vehicles, loaded with thousands of dollars in donated medical supplies and equipment, will depart Pierce County to be driven all the way to Guatemala by a dedicated team of volunteer drivers. All supplies and vehicles are donations from local fire districts, hospitals and clinics, as well as from generous individual donors.
The BRAVE Foundation President and Founder, Paul Embleton, has been granted a leave of absence from his position as Captain/Paramedic with Central Pierce Fire & Rescue in order to complete the current project in Guatemala. In 1998, with the support of Rotary Clubs in the U. S. and Guatemala, Capt. Embleton helped to establish the first EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) program for the Volunteer Firefighters of Guatemala, providing the necessary training, equipment, and apparatus to provide both basic and advanced pre-hospital care to the sick and injured. The first graduating class consisted of 12 individuals of the Bomberos Voluntarios de Guatemala. The training soon became sanctioned by the medical college in Guatemala City and the program continues to expand. The BRAVE Foundation is proud to announce that, to date, there are a total of 14 EMT programs throughout Guatemala.
So far, more than 50 Emergency Medical Technicians, paramedics, nurses, doctors, and others have volunteered their time to travel to Guatemala and provide their expertise with training programs. The Guatemalan bomberos have gained the respect of doctors in hospital emergency rooms for their skills in providing a higher level of medical care to the patients.
Courage and dedication know no boundaries. The BRAVE Foundation seeks to improve the efforts of firefighters and medical personnel in developing countries to become self-sufficient by providing access to progressive training programs and efficient facilities and equipment.
To follow the blog and provide your support of this important journey, please visit www.bravefoundation.org.
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