Getting Connected

Ah, technology - seeing if I can connect to a blog and to twitter too; hmmm...

6th Red Cross DAT Call

Saturday night after I was settling down I got a phone call for a DAT response in Fullerton.

I had to go pick up the Red Cross van at the fire station and meet my DAT supervisor at a local hospital where the client was taken to be treated for mild smoke inhallation.

We arrived and I listened to their story while paperwork was filled out. It didn't sound like a big fire, and the client said that her neighbors had knocked on her door to wake her up. After finding a valid hotel on the list, the client was discharged and we went back to the apartment to to survey the dwelling while they retrieved some belongings.

The fire was very minor limited to the bathroom where we believed there was a short in the ceiling fan, as indicated by the revealed wiring that was fused or melted together. The fire department had torn down the ceiling and insulation to get to it.

We finished up paperwork outside and the clients left to go to the hotel. Then I drove back to drop off the van and drive back home at about 2:30.

The clients were very grateful for all our help, they kept on saying. I was glad to do it without pay, it felt like a very worthy sacrifice of time and effort.

Are you ready?

We've had a lot of quakes lately - have you prepared water, food, emergency supplies for home or work, or your car?

New Truck - Toyota Tacoma

I'm very happy with my new vehicle - a 2004 Toyota Tacoma truck.

It is much better suited for camping and the response activities I participate in.

My friends say it's much more "me" than my previous Camry.

Dispatch Certification

I received my Emergency Dispatch Certification certificate and card at work - yay!

Solar Power Supply

I finished constructing a 12 volt power supply with a solar panel to recharge it.

The 50 watt solar panel provides about 2.25 amps in sunlight, but I didn't want it too big. The solar panel tilts up to face the sun and down for transporting.

I acquired a huge heavy battery for cheap; it has 170 amp-hrs capacity and weighs over 130 lbs, which is really impractical but its a prototype unit anyways.
There is a charge controller to it, and I'm sure it could attach a power inverter to it if needed. It requires a controlled power supply to keep a float charge on the battery, which I will need to see if I can provide that without dumping more money into the project.

Hopefully I can try it out in the field in the future.