Copy of email I sent to Chief Bonnee RE problems with training by firefighter Robert Arnold on November 1st 2019
Chief
RE: Captain Robert Arnold Training
I understand Captain Arnold doesn’t like me or volunteers in general and creates a hostile work place by providing inaccurate information and belittling to volunteers. The training he gives and that he oversees is substandard and prejudicial toward volunteers and individuals.
First Aid CPR
When Captain Arnold taught the First Aid Course one of the first things he said was he doesn’t teach the course like Red Cross wants, if they knew they would probably take his instructor cert. He said he teaches the hand only CPR that he doesn’t like the 30 and 2 Red Cross method, and it’s an 8 hour course but you’ll be out of here in 6.
During the First Aid portion of the CPR First Aid we watched videos while he played on his phone. We didn’t do any of the practicals with the exception of 10 compressions for the CPR part. I don’t know if Jeffery has had first aid before but practice for someone new or old never hurts if it’s not something you do on a regular basis.
I’m sure Red Cross not approve of that beat up manikin he used. He was paid for this and he can’t bring a manikin? We only did around 10 compressions each Robert said just do a few compressions “so I know, you know how to do it”.
RE Tired of People who don’t know the Law
He told us we couldn’t take the Red Cross BLS course because we weren’t EMT’s or professional rescuers. Saying at one point “we don’t want anybody thinking they’re a paramedic. He said there’s no law against it, he just wouldn’t teach unless you’re an EMT to protect his certifications.
Telling volunteer first responders that in his opinion you’re basically not good enough to take the American Red Cross Basic Life Support course or CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers, both courses are for public safety professionals including volunteer firefighters but anyone can take the course.
The Basic Life Support (BLS) from the American Red Cross is designed for healthcare providers and public safety professionals and meets a variety of certification and licensing requirements.
I called the Red Cross; they laughed when I asked if a volunteer firefighter was a public safety professional. They said yes it include volunteer firefighters as well as law enforcement and anyone else involved in public safety, not just EMT’s.
He sat there and told us that you had to be an EMT to take the CPR AED for Professional Rescuers Course. That there wasn’t any law it’s just he doesn’t do it because he doesn’t want to risk his certifications.
Here are the Prerequisites to be an instructor for the CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers Instructor Course prior to the pre-course.
Candidates must: Be at least 16 years old on or before the final scheduled session of the course.
Possess a current basic-level certification in CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers
Successfully complete the online Introduction to the CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers Instructor Course prior to the pre-course skills session.
Obtain all instructor and participant materials before entering the first session of the instructor course.
Tim this is the problem, guys like this that hold some position of rank make up this shit and people below them believe this BS like it’s a law, rule, or regulation where there is none. Like I said you should have heard all the BS Pat Moore told us when he was here. Most everything you’re doing, he said we couldn’t do. That’s why I check everything and go by the law and not BS…
First VFIS Driver Testing
Robert was also the captain in charge for the VFIS Driver Testing at GVFD
I don’t think you know what went on down there, but it was bull shit.
This was Gus’s first time teaching and doing the testing for the VFIS Course. I did fine in the entire course until we got to the tender. When I did my test the first thing Gus told me when we got in the tender was to adjust the seat and mirrors to fit me. I told him I couldn’t see the rear wheels in the mirror I don’t know how I can backup safely. We looked at the mirror and it wasn’t adjustable, at least not easily. I told Gus I don’t know how I can put the wheels between the two lines for parallel parking if I can’t see the rear wheels. He said just give it a try, so I did.
It was a joke it had nothing to do with my ability to Parallel Park an engine in the future. We had been there all day and I was tired and tired of the BS from Robert. So after trying a couple time of having Gus looking out the passengers window telling me turn here, turn there, and aim for the tree. I stopped the test around 5PM telling them it there was no point if I can’t see the lines.
Nobody taking the test that day could see the rear tires on the passenger’s side of the tender. Gus who was giving the test from the passenger’s seat would tell the driver the things like aim for the tree and turn right just a little sometimes hanging out the window looking down so he could see where the tires were.
I drove semi several years running the Spokane to the East Coast and don’t have a problem driving or backing anything.
I told Gus and Scott we needed an engine or tender with adjustable mirrors next time. The first thing the instructor tells you when they start the test are to adjust the seat, mirrors, etc. If you can’t adjust the mirrors to fit the driver in a backing test, what point is the test?
Second VFIS Driver Testing
Scott called at 10AM telling me we had driver testing today in GV. We got there about 11:50 just in time for their lunch break. They got back about 1:30 started getting ready for the LMRFD volunteers.
It was the same tender with mirrors you can’t adjust. So again I was explaining how if I can’t adjust the mirrors, I can’t see the rear wheels and if I can’t see the rear wheels you can’t put the wheels between the two lines to park.
Gus asked why we didn’t bring the LMRFD tender and I told him I didn’t know if it was a miss communication with our chief or what, but agreed we need our own tender for the test.
Then Gus said so there’s no conflict or bias the captain would be doing my today just to be fair. It’s was pretty obvious to me the captain was one of Tony’s buddies and didn’t like me, so I wasn’t thrilled with the idea.
Several of us were standing around after lunch and Gus was talking about how everyone had hit cones last time including me. Then Gus told the captain that he given me extra help and even cut me some slack helping guide me. That was BS he talked everybody through how to maneuver the course hanging out the window to direct them in on the backing. I did the same test at NACFD and nobody was handing out the window,
Then Captain Arnold jumps in and says no that’s not the way it works. He said if you hit two or more cones you take the whole course over. Because it was pretty obvious he didn’t like me, I asked what he meant by the whole course.
He said I would have to take the classroom and driving over, saying “from here on that’s how we do it”… From here on… Really after all the GVFD guys have tested and only the three volunteers from the LMRFD are left. Like I said it was obvious he didn’t like me…..
All the GVFD guys hit multiple cones during the first driving test.. Including just before lunch that day where Gus was hanging out the window so he could see the lines and talk the guy through how to parallel park. This was just before lunch, and now he changes the rules….
A few minutes later I was talking to the big guy who works for us, he just cut off his pony tail. I told him the captain changed the rules. That I had already passed in the utility vehicles, brush truck and the single axel engine and wasn’t going to risk having to take the whole test just to drive the tandem tenders.
The big guy made a funny face and said the captain must have been joking that they had never done it that way.
Like I said he doesn’t like me…. So I called my wife who was in Kingman and she came and picked me up…
I never did get any certificate saying I passed the utility vehicles, brush truck and the single axel engine….
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