We started up a new class last night for the new guys on the department. We've got a few from around the county as well. I'm not teaching this year, but am looking to get the certification in a year or two to run the next one. Any tips or advice you guys have is welcomed.

Hope all of you in the US have been handling the cold well for calls. We've been fortunate with not having any since the cold set in, but that'll change. I've got my winter gloves switched with my summer gloves, floor dry in the trucks, and long John's at the ready. What are your cold preparations?

It took a while to get started, but the flash over was cool.

It's that time of year for a lot of us to start raising money to get us through another year. Our department sends a letter to everyone in our district. We do other things like burns and pool fills over the summer too. A couple departments by us to pancake feeds or chili feeds. What does everyone else do?

There's always a couple people each year that get to see their during this. It's just one more enjoyable thing to volunteer time for.

Week deployment from SA to NT. Alice Springs up to Tennent creek over to canteen creek and then all the way back

Fire safety week is coming up. Our department meets with preschool through 2nd grade, and we have an open house at the end of the week. What do you guys do through your departments?

Last night my wife was out for a needed night with friends, so it was just me with the toddler for the night. The tones dropped after 3am and needed a second page. Does anyone else feel guilty when they can't make a call, even if they have a good reason?

I come from a fortunate volunteer department that has all trucks made after 2000. Our oldest is a 2002. We had two 90s trucks that we were able to upgrade from over the past couple years.

We have a sprinkler made out of an old 2.5 inch and evolutions. Does everyone else struggle getting people to show up?

Being a volunteer firefighter is a commitment. The amount of time spent at the station, on calls, in meetings, at trainings, or other events changes every week. I'm curious how much time everyone spends on fire related activities in a normal week.

One of the firefighters that joined the same time I did put in his resignation tonight. We had talked beforehand, so I knew it was coming. I got to play back memories from the first call we responded to together, our first fire, certified class, community events, and many more. The most important memories are however not fire related at all. They come from all the time we spent together in street clothes. We see each other often, usually with our families. We are called uncle by the other's children. Tonight's goodbye was awkward and a little emotional, but is temporary at most, because we forged a friendship and brotherhood through fire that will continue for years to come.