The Extra Curricular: MoCo Fire and Rescue Service

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Nate Hanshew, a CCAS sophomore studying international affairs and Arabic. 
Hey there! For those of you who don’t know me my name is Nathan Hanshew, and I’m a sophomore here at GWU who is also a student and peer adviser within the UHP. Those who know me call me Nate and know that I’m a Charge EMT within the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. Montgomery County and rides out of Rescue Company 2 in Wheaton, MD. Montgomery County is the county directly above D.C. and has a little more than a million inhabitants. I’ve currently been in the Fire Rescue Service for the past two years and it has been responsible for developing me into the person that I am today. It has truly exposed me to the brutal reality of how the other side lives and has broken my previous, false, and naive concept of how the world and ultimately how our society functions. Some of the greatest advice I’ve ever received in my life has been in the field on the ambulance while responding to those in need: Don’t be daunted by the severity of issues placed in front of you, approach your dilemmas with unique calmness, determination and execution. During this past weekend, I had to respond to an overturned mail truck with a driver that was entrapped within the interior of the truck:



 
 
 
 
 
Along with this mail truck that was overturned on its side, there were two other cars that were also involved in the accident as this mail truck swerved and slid approximately 10-20 feet after tipping over. Upon arrival on the scene, there was a sense of concern and urgency within, however with the triad of being calm, having determination, and using flawless execution, the patient was able to be safely extracted from the truck and sent to the hospital under my care. No matter how great the circumstances and no matter how frightening they can be, everything can play into your hands if you play your cards right. Not only do I follow this advice in the field, I utilize this advice for projects, and fittingly for midterms as it’s midterm season! By following a routine and schedule, the beauty of organization will clear any mess you have so you can execute your assignments optimally. Through determination you will get to the end result you so desire, and by execution you will come to the end you wanted for yourself.
All photos were taken by Battalion Chief Brett Russell, MCFRS and WVRS