Guatemala 2013: Day 5
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Today was a successful continuation of this week’s training. Each instructor had something to say about their students and how well they performed. For example, the Raises and Lowers group was timed while rigging a basket and completing a raise. Their time was under twelve minutes, the fastest time Derick, Christian and Jason have seen yet! The Colonel for the base actually rappelled from the helicopter, creating an exciting moment for that particular group. The firefighters practiced extrication of a victim using a fire hose; the Vehicle Extrication guys were impressed with their group’s enthusiasm, as were those training with High Lines.
The highlight of today was the visit to the Congress of the country, where we got to meet the President of the Guatemalan Congress. We welcomed an opportunity to express our gratitude for the generosity and welcoming attitude of both the Military and the Firefighters. He congratulated the team as a whole on our hard work and thanked us for using our expertise to work with the men and Women of the Rescate and Bomberos. He presented us with coins embossed with the seal of the Guatemalan Congress, then proceeded to send us on a tour of the legislative building. It was the experience of a lifetime and we are so grateful to have been able to do this–not only meeting the President but also this trip in general.
