Yesterday we found out that our scheduled helicopter flights for today were pushed back until Monday. At first I was really disappointed because I wanted to get out to the Dry Valleys and get to work, however, I took advantage of the extra day and I explored McMurdo Station and met some really incredible people. When most people think of McMurdo and Antarctica, they think of the scientists and the science being done here. However, the scientists require a lot of support. They need places to stay, vehicles to drive, communication devices to keep in contact with each other and the base, food to eat, water to drink, computers and technology for their research, etc... The list goes on and on. McMurdo Station is like a little city and everything that a city has, McMurdo has. Therefore, there are a lot more than just scientists running around here.
Here is the layout of McMurdo Station. It is has everything a small city would have. (USAP)
My mission for today was to meet and interview as many people from as many different jobs as possible. If you want to see the full list of jobs available in Antarctica, go to http://www.rayjobs.com/index.cfm?NavID=119&ANTARCTICA_JOBS. There are a variety of jobs ranging from mechanics to plumbers to cooks to doctors to camp managers. There really is every job available here that is available in a city, so if you are saying that you could never go to Antarctica because you are not a scientist...you are wrong. The opportunity to come here is open to everyone as long as you are a US citizen or permanent resident, you pass a drug and background check, and you are 18 years old or older.
In the next couple of journals, I am going to introduce you to some of the interesting people that I have met here.
Let's start with the fire station...
Every city needs firemen and emergency technicians so I headed over to the McMurdo Fire Station to see who was keeping me safe...
I had the pleasure of hanging out with John and Cory at the McMurdo Fire Station.
** John Cassidy Jr. - Sullivan County, NY**
John is a firefighter and EMT here at McMurdo station. He found out about the fire station here in McMurdo when he was in his EMT class back in the states. The guy in front of him was wearing a McMurdo Station, Antarctica t-shirt and he thought it was a joke until he checked it out and saw that there really are fire stations in Antarctica. He thought that it would be a fun experience, so he applied and he was on his way to Antarctica. He has had two separate deployments to Antarctica and he has been here for the last 14 months (that's a long time to be away from home). When I talked to him about what were the requirements to be a firefighter in Antarctica he said that you needed EMT training and experience as a firefighter or volunteer firefighter.
Cory Casarez - Parker, CO
At home Cory was an apprentice firefighter and EMT when he heard about the McMurdo Fire Station through a friend. He really wanted to explore the world and go somewhere abnormal so he researched the station on the internet, applied, and months later he found himself in McMurdo. His favorite thing about being here is meeting all the different people from different backgrounds. He loves the serenity of this place and how people can exist without war and work towards one common goal.
Check out tomorrow's journal to meet the interesting people I met in the UT department (if you don't know what UT stands for, you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out
Smile
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