In my opinion, it's something the Colorado Department of Corrections has gotten absolutely right-everybody wins with programs like SWIFT. The inmates are able to use their time while incarcerated giving back to the communities that have been affected by their actions while bettering themselves by learning a whole new skill set-all while bringing in significant amount of revenue for the DOC. I wish the inmates and the DOC were more willing to participate in similar programs.
One of the immediate logistical problems of me making the team was my size. As a Wildland Firefighter, you are issued required gear that is designed to make you efficient at your job while protecting your life. Across the board, with no exceptions, did any of the gear currently in inventory here fit me. Everything from the fire boots to hard hats were too small. As I've been reminded multiple times-guys my size just don't choose wild land firefighting as a profession. So needless to say, it has taken a couple of weeks for the size 15 fire boots, XXXL Nomex shirts, 38x36 pants, XXL gloves and for a hard hat, they've decided to have me strap a dutch oven over my head.
One of the technical/physical tests that we are required to pass is the deployment of a fire shelter. A fire shelter is a cocoon like structure that folds up into a pouch that all firefighters are required to carry at all times. The shelter is able to protect firefighters from temperatures up to 2000 degrees F. But they are only meant to be used in extreme emergencies when you absolutely cannot escape the oxygen-hungry flames of a forest fire. For someone like me who has never been around fires, it was really hard for me to understand how you could ever get caught in a situation where you'd have to deploy your shelter. I thought, "just stay out of those situations?" However, after going through our training, I have gained a whole new appreciation for the danger of these forest fires and the men and women who fight them.
One of my good friends that I hit it off with immediately over his love and passion of all things hunting, along with a wife who is just as awesome, has over 20 years experience in every area of the wildland fire service. I can't even begin to name all the titles and expertise he holds. I thought he was a stud before, but after my little taste of his world thus far, he is my hero. Ironically enough, he is one of the reasons the SWIFT program is here in Colorado. He helped bring it here and get it signed into law after seeing the success it had in other states. Never did I imagine that I would be here, let alone apart of a program that my friend help implement. I am so incredibly grateful for him and the SWIFT program because it is saving me in here. Maybe if the stars align, luck is on my side, I may just get to see him if we are called to the same fire, I will be trying to hold back my emotions as I hug him, I hope it happens.
So as I am learning, this stuff is no joke and it's hard to understand all the engineering, science, weather, smoke dangers etc that these men and women are working all while trying to save land, structures, people, and of course each other.
Consider this-forest fires can be so powerful that they create their own weather patterns. Combined with factors like wind and very dry fuels, the can move at 100 yards a second! Imagine that-you are standing in the end zone of a football field watching a fire burning in the other end zone. By the time you realize that the fire is coming towards you, it's already too late. These fires must be feared, respected and understood or you risk devastating consequences. Contrary to popular belief, firefighters do not die from being burned by direct flame but die from the inhalation of 2000+ degree super heated air. Two breaths of that kind of air and your lungs are done for.
The test requirement for the fire shelter is full deployment in 25 seconds or less. Our Chiefs add the requirement of a 50 yard run to make it more realistic-after all, if you were deploying your shelter you will have most likely been running to escape the fire.
To be as realistic as possible, we start the test with all of our gear on-which includes a 50 lb backpack, chainsaw and tools. Once you have decided to deploy your fire shelter, the first thing you do is ditch all your non-required gear-so once the timer starts you shed the backpack, toss you chainsaw and start running. The shelter folds ups into a pouch that is about the size of an iPad. We are trained to start removing the shelter front the pouch as we are running to our deployment site. My best description of what one of the shelters looks like is a cross between an emergency blanket and a fitted sheet. The shelter is pulled around you as you lay face down on the ground. You want to seal the shelter as tight as possible to protect the oxygen that will sustain you as the fire passes around you hunting for every drop of flammable air. Our training tells us to be prepared to spend up to 2 hours in the shelter. I've never considered myself a claustrophobic person- but when you are sprinting to get away from a fie, full of adrenaline and fear and then deploy and climb into one of these shelters-your brain starts sounding all sorts of alarms that put you into panic mode. Luckily for the test, we're only required to stay in the shelter for 10 minutes-which is still a very long 10 minutes.
I practiced multiple times with my mentor Stokey. By now, he's used to having to modify his teaching methods to account for trying to train a Sasquatch. After I felt comfortable with the process we told the Chiefs that I was ready to take my test. They setup with stopwatches about 60 yards away and I put on all of my gear. Just like a track race, they asked if I was ready; I nodded and they yelled, "set, GO!"
I immediately sprung into action and thew my pack and chainsaw down and began to sprint. As I threw my pack to the ground, I grabbed the velcro pouch that held my shelter and sprinted towards my waiting bosses. As I was sprinting, I ripped open the pouch and began to unfold the shelter. I was amazed at how smoothly everything was going-all the training I had done with Stokey was paying off.
I arrived at the deployment site in under 10 seconds which meant I still had 15 seconds to get situated face down on the ground with the shelter around me. In my practice training, climbing into the shelter was always the most difficult thing. For one, the shelter is too small for me. They have ordered me a larger shelter but at the time of the test, I was still using a regular sized shelter. Also, I am not a real graceful person. I've been known to play with Sallie's hair and accidentally rip patches out. Most of these dudes make climbing into a shelter look like an artistic floor routine at the World Gymnastics Championship. I kept thinking of my Goble brothers, they would've crushed this. I make it look like that scene from Ace Ventura where he is climbing out of a mother rhino after she gave birth. It's ugly.
As they continued to countdown the seconds, 10,9,8.....I got the shelter around me and dropped face first to the ground with 3 seconds to spare. I was very uncomfortable but proud of myself for making it through the hardest part of the test-now the 10 minute wait inside an oxygen deprived and hot cocoon began.
The Chiefs continued talking and quizzing me about training questions as I was lying face down in the dirt. After the 5 minute mark, I could hear that other people were gathering around me. At about the 6 minute mark, I could hear muffled laughs and by 7 minutes, I could hear roaring laughter. I soon realized that my fellow firefighters had been summoned up to see the results of my test-and whatever they saw was extremely funny.
I became paranoid to the point where I started yelling, "What is so funny?!" That just made them laugh even more. I didn't dare get out of my shelter before the 10 minutes were up so I just kept my face down and wait it out. When they finally called it, I started to remove the shelter and immediately figured out what everyone had gathered to laugh at me. When I had deployed my shelter, I had failed to get my left leg tucked into the elastic part of the shelter. The result was that my left leg-from the back of my thigh down was completely outside of the shelter for the entire 10 minutes! So needless to say, I was roasted...pun completely intended.
For the Juniper Vally Fire Team, our season officially began May 1st. It has been a rainy week throughout Colorado this wee so we have not been called out on any fires yet. Much like the structural firefighters that protect our homes, we are all waiting around anticipating this year's first fire needing help from inmates. We spend our days when not on a fire, doing mitigation work. This entails cutting down high-risk trees and brush in and around the residential areas. We spent this week in Aspen, CO working around many of the homes in the community.
Because May 1st marked the beginning of our season, receiving visits from now until October 1st will be hit and miss. New laws will allow us to be on fires for 21 straight days without coming back to the facility. So Sallie and the kids have spent the last couple of weekends up here along with some other people who have taken the time to come see me. My Bishop, Stake President (local leaders from my church. Bishop presides over our neighborhood ward and the Stake President presides of a number of wards in an area)
I was also fortunate to have a very special, very spiritual visit with Elder K. Brett Nattress of the Quorum of the Seventy as well as my Area President Thomas T. Priday.(he presides over the Stake Presidents in a particular area) I have cherished every second of these visits. I don't know why they have taken to time to come visit me as well as Sallie and my kids, but I continue to be humbled and grateful. It's been a huge strength to us and as I mentioned in my previous post, Heavenly Father is everywhere and truly is aware of me and my family. It's an experience I cannot adequately speak of, in the lowest, darkest places I have never been in my life and vulnerable, it has brought me to a place where I am humble enough to recognize, appreciate and embrace it. Again, to all those reading this not familiar with my Mormon lingo and wonder what Quorum of the Seventy, Area President etc. is/means/does etc., and why it's such a big deal to me, you can find a description/explanation on www.mormon.org or www.lds.org. Don't worry, it won't track your inquiry :)
(It's just a great way to give you an idea of what the things I have mentioned in this post as well as others as far as my religion mean or what they are.)
I will keep posting as I am able, otherwise I have asked Sal to give updates as well as my kids to post when they feel like it. Maybe a few friends or other family members will as well. Regardless, you will at least get an update on my status until I can write again.
Now it's on the baptism by fire.....metaphorically speaking of course.
Brandon Stephens, Weld County Jail, Wood Group, Sentenced, 5 Years, Prison, NFL, DRDC, Rifle Correctional Center, Colorado Department of Corrections, Jail, Judge Quammen, Steve Wrenn, Weld County, Executive, Oil, Gas, White Collar, Wood, BYU, Masters Degree, Colorado State University, SWIFT, Firefighter, Wildland, Sawyer, Fire, Inmate, Brandon Stokey, Miracles, Centennial Community Correctional Center, Delta Correctional Center, DRDC, Denver Diagnostic and Reception Center, Felony, Sallie Stephens, Greeley Tribune, Judge Thomas Quammen, DA Steve Wrenn, Weld County Court, Oil & Gas,. Halfway House, Centennial Community Correction Center, CCTC, Felon, 416 Fire, Silver Creek Fire, Spring Fire, Cabin Lake Fire
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