I am the newest member of my local volunteer fire department.
The wildfire season was almost non-existent for our department, because of the perfectly timed rain we got this year.
So, I didn’t get to fight any wildfires this year (yet). It’s always possible to get a late season one, of course. But up here (we’re at a mile high in elevation), we tend to get snow quickly.
I have been on a couple structure fires in the area. Two trailer homes burned (you can’t save a trailer home), and the interior of a large steel recycling building burned.
Anyway, it’s a chance to serve the community, and work with some neat gear.
The other night the pager went off in the middle of the night, 2:21am to be exact.
And, the call was to a large senior citizen home with lots of
residents living in apartment style rooms.
Sounds serious, right?
Well, it was a call for a fire alarm going off in the building. Now these senior citizen homes have very touchy alarm systems.
And, the residents occasionally get.. er… confused… and pull the alarm.
Anyway, we always get called to this center for a false alarm. It’s always a false alarm.
But, it’s important to respond in an urgent manner to each one.
Why?
Because you just never know. The one time you take too long to respond, it will be an actual blaze and bad things will happen.
The evacuation of that building – and fast attack of the fire – will be very important if the day ever comes when an actual fire is raging inside.
So, like a good volunteer, I put on my glasses, threw my shoes and sweatshirt on, and headed to the fire department.
I was first, then another gent showed up, and also our chief.
So, the three of us manned the pumper truck and took off for the senior citizen home.
We sparingly used the siren so as not to wake TOO many people from their slumber.
Sure enough, when we got there we got word that it was another false alarm.
So, within 20 minutes I was back in bed.
But, I couldn’t sleep.
Nope.
Because I was thinking about that alarm, and how it related to frac sand testing.
You see, most of the sand out there is a “false alarm.”
It just isn’t of the high quality needed to become frac sand.
Frac sand must be pure, properly sized, very round, and hard.
That said, I always treat each sample – and each client – like gold. Because you just never know when that sand actually is frac sand.
I perform each test with the same professionalism.
I clean all the sieves just as carefully.
I measure each sample on the scale to absolute precision.
Just like each fire call must be responded to with urgency as if a fire is raging, each client must be treated as if they truly have frac sand.
Are you the “five alarm fire”?
Do you have frac sand?
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