Fsmt475 Week 1 Forum Responses

#1

Hello everyone, my name is Mark Barrager, and I am eager to be back in school working towards completing my bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science Management.  I was on a two-year hiatus as I pursued promotions in my current job and attended several military schools.  I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 12 years now and have two boys ages ten and five.  I am currently serving on active duty in the Army, working as a Marine Engineering Officer, stationed in beautiful Pearl Harbor, HI.  I have been in the Army since 2010 and became a Warrant Officer in 2016.  I love what I do, but my job does take me away from my family for an extended amount of time, something that I do not enjoy.  I am working toward my degree so that I will be more marketable in the civilian world, and to become more knowledgeable of the fire industry.

I served for four years in a volunteer department prior to joining the Army.  I fell in love with the fire service, hence the reason I am pursuing my degree in Fire Science.  There is something to be said about being on scene doing extraordinary work with extraordinary people.  The fire service is comparable to the military, the team building and confidence you build in others is superior to any other job.  I appreciate the structure, discipline, high standards, and utilization of the chain of command to get the job done in a safer, and more efficient manner. I have very little experience actually conducting research for the fire service, however, I have benefited from research having had the opportunity to work on and drive new fire fighting apparatus’.

I look forward to learning more about the research processes of the Fire and Emergency Services and learning how to plan, and execute research that will benefit or impact my department and section.  Some of my favorite past times are kayaking, hunting wild Hawaiian pigs, spending time with my family, and hiking.  I look forward to working with everyone over the next few weeks and can’t wait to hear about their experiences.  Good luck to all, and let’s get this started!

I have read and understand the Academic Integrity policies of the university, including the plagiarism policy and incorporating quotes in my writing.

#2

Hello everyone! I’m Samuel Biesecker, I’m 23, and from Gettysburg PA. I’ve been very blessed to grow up in a very beautiful area of the county and if you ever get a chance to visit it’s a great place for a family vacation. I’m in the final stretch with my classes and have four to complete after this one so I am very ready to be finished with my degree in Fire Science Management.  I am actually getting back into taking classes after about a year and a half off. I had the opportunity to purchase a home that needed a year of remodeling and I’m just now finishing up the detail work on the house. Currently I work as a 911 dispatcher, a volunteer firefighter, and I’ve recently been appointed to being a deputy emergency manager for my local EMA. I have a dispatcher for three years, a firefighter for 9 years, and I’ve been involved with emergency management for a couple years as volunteer help. I think I have had a pretty good exposure to fire research through high school years and the time I served as training officer for my fire department. One of my main tasks as trainer was to look at new tactics as see if they were viable to implement into my guy’s training. That being said, I am sure I have a lot to learn and will gain needed experience during the next 8 weeks being in this class.  When I’m not working or fixing my house, I enjoy being active in my church, baking, photography/videography, and woodworking.  Once I finish my degree I’m hoping to move on from my dispatching job and work towards a federal job with FEMA, but we will have to see if things work out.

I’m looking forward to getting to know y’all, and hopefully the next 8 weeks go well. It’s going to be a little rough for me starting out because I have back to back trips taking up the next week and a half, but I should have internet connection to complete my assignments.