4000 Hours

[+cachew nut]

Watching the State of the Union Address tonight reminded me of a previous Address, shortly after 9-11, where President Bush called on all Americans to serve their nation for the equivalent of two years (4,000 hours) over their lifetimes.

 

I guess I'm a little late, but next Wednesday I will have completed my CERT training (20 hours.) I also sought out and joined the EMA groups closest to my home and work. So now I'm looking forward to the next 3,980 hours

 

My plan is to still shoehorn in some time for geocaching

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I missed it. Can you paste the text here?

[+cachew nut]

I don't have the text.

[+sept1c_tank]

...My plan is to still shoehorn in some time for geocaching...

Shoehorn, man.......shoehorn in..!

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I don't have the text.

Then what's the point of this topic?

[+cachew nut]

The point is I will have to budget my time for geocaching.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Well I am Lucky I joined when he called, in March when I finally got my computer and figured out how to get involved.

 

I now have almost 2000 hours in, Alot of it on Mapping,Fire and Rescue.

I was at the 5-4-2003 Tornado at Pierce City,Missouri and showed them,(FEMA,SEMA) what I had logged (Track log),that night and the next morning,and then the following weeks.

 

I got to Meet the President there and actually thank him for creating the

Freedom Corps

 

USA FREEDOM CORPS

 

Quite an Honor.

 

I know that this is what he talks about when he talks of the

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

And the ways Americans have responded to the CALL.

 

That was the only part of my Honorable Discharge that remained in effect,

THAT if America goes to WAR I would have to go back.

 

I was disabled in between that time and now so the Freedom Corps creation fulfilled that obligation at home.

 

Again Thank-You President Bush for the FREEDOM CORPS.

 

I urge all Americans again as I did at the beggining to join the American Spirit and Volunteer in your communities to do good for your Neighbors.

 

There is no better gift than that a man lay down his life for his friends.

[+Renegade Knight]

Interesting.

 

Volunteer Stats

 

I've emailed on the CERT we shall see how it plays out.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

I forgot to post it in the last post but I got my e-mail today too on CERT and Weather Spotters Classes.

[+cachew nut]

Ok, I went and found the text for the 2002 State of the Union Address. Hope this helps!

[+Sparky-Watts]

I logged just over 41,000 volunteer hours as a paramedic, and also work as a Storm Spotter for NOAA (though I don't know how many hours I've spent, well over 250 I would guess). Guess I'm good for, what, about 10 lifetimes?

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Right arm Sparky-Watts next?

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I logged just over 41,000 volunteer hours as a paramedic, and also work as a Storm Spotter for NOAA (though I don't know how many hours I've spent, well over 250 I would guess). Guess I'm good for, what, about 10 lifetimes?

Is that why you've slowed down on posting recently?

[+Sparky-Watts]

I logged just over 41,000 volunteer hours as a paramedic, and also work as a Storm Spotter for NOAA (though I don't know how many hours I've spent, well over 250 I would guess).  Guess I'm good for, what, about 10 lifetimes?

Is that why you've slowed down on posting recently?

Nah....just haven't had much of nothing to say. I noticed that my posts were becoming logical, insightful, topical, and helpful, so I figured I'd back off a bit and regroup! I don't do the paramedic thing anymore, and this is the slow season for tornadoes and T-storms, but only a couple more months till that fires up again. Then I most likely won't be here at all for several days in a row. I know, that breaks your heart, doesn't it?

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Nah....just haven't had much of nothing to say. I noticed that my posts were becoming logical, insightful, topical, and helpful, so I figured I'd back off a bit and regroup!

I noticed that too. I thought you got hit on the head and had some sense knocked in to you

[+Jamie Z]

I logged just over 41,000 volunteer hours as a paramedic,

I'm guessing this is not a typo, or maybe it is.

 

With standard 40 hour workweek, 41,000 hours is more than 20 years of full-time work. Given a likely scenario of round-the-clock shifts as a paramedic might do, 41,000 hours must still be more than 10 years of full-time work.

 

Volunteer? As in without compensation?

 

If that's so... my hat off to you.

 

Jamie

[+crzycrzy]

No doubt.

You got my approval.

Does my service in the Marines Count ?

If so, I have pretty much covered my time.

[+briansnat]

No idea how many hours I have, but most have them been spent coaching youth sports (soccer, softball and basketball), as an archeaology field work instructor and doing trail work.

 

The latter is great because I often get to combine geocaching and volunteering. I placed a lot of my caches in the state forest I'm responsible for, so I get to combine trail maintenance trips , with cache maintenance trips. Often, when working in other parks, I flick on my GPS to check out the nearest caches and will sometimes find that I'm very close to one...and excuse myself to go get it (they must wonder where I go to when I disappear for 20-30 minutes at a time). And because I'm involved with building new trails, I'm exposed to new, interesting places, which gives me great ideas for neat spots to place new caches.

Edited January 21, 2004 by briansnat

[+Sparky-Watts]

I logged just over 41,000 volunteer hours as a paramedic,

I'm guessing this is not a typo, or maybe it is.

 

With standard 40 hour workweek, 41,000 hours is more than 20 years of full-time work. Given a likely scenario of round-the-clock shifts as a paramedic might do, 41,000 hours must still be more than 10 years of full-time work.

 

Volunteer? As in without compensation?

 

If that's so... my hat off to you.

 

Jamie

Nope, no typo. 80 to 120 hours a week for 10 years. No pay other than satisfaction in helping someone. In that time I delivered 6 babies, and that alone is pay enough!

[+bigredmed]

Looked into CERT training in Nebraska. Don't know if its doable here. What other options are available?

[+cachew nut]

Looked into CERT training in Nebraska. Don't know if its doable here. What other options are available?

Here is the website for the Nebraska EMA. It looks like they offer lots of training opportunities. Also, if there is no type of training or volunteer opportunities in your area, there is lots of online training at http://www.training.fema.gov/

[+Halden]

Very interesting. Nice Grassroots, community support.

[+T-storm]

<snip> ... this is the slow season for <snip> T-storms, but only a couple more months till that fires up again.  Then I most likely won't be here at all for several days in a row.

Well, you've got that right, Sparky. It IS the slow season for T-storm. Well, at least it is THIS year. And yeah, it's certainly possible that I'll try to get fired back up in a couple of months. But what a great guy to take several days to help out! I'm sure we can find lots of household tasks to keep you busy and help us out. Can you cook? Well, heck with that, I see from a later post you can deliver babies! It can't be a bad thing to have someone around that knows how to handle a baby!

 

Pssstt....

 

Huh? What's that, Mopar? Whadda ya' mean he's not talking he's not talking to me? Are you SURE? Well, no, I wouldn't REALLY want a cat for a babysitter... Brokenwing's horribly allergic. OOOOooohhhhh!!!! Stormspotter, eh? Ummm... oops. Umm... HI, SPARKY!! nevermind.... it's just placenta brain.

[+Sparky-Watts]

Can you cook? Well, heck with that, I see from a later post you can deliver babies! It can't be a bad thing to have someone around that knows how to handle a baby!

 

Oh, yeah....I can cook! I don't do windows, though. Birthing babies ain't no hard thang.....ya just wait for their little head to pop out, then sit there with a catcher's mitt and catch'em when they come squirtin' out!

 

I was very fortunate in that all six were easy, uncomplicated births. I had co-workers who weren't so lucky.

[+T-storm]

Oh, and on topic now... I have volunteered quite a few hours to local organizations, but I don't really think much of that would count for the prez's proposal. The neighborhood association where I live has a much smaller scale volunteer program encouraging an hour a month or less. The stuff I do qualifies for that... Been on the board / executive committee for a couple of small non-profit clubs. One promoting and protecting pet ferrets and helping to provide re-homing for the abandoned and community and animal control education. The other is a MOMS Club serving mothers who stay at home with their children full or part time. The MOMS group also has a program by which we support a local child or family related charity each year. In the 4 years during which I've been involved that has been Ronald McDonald House, Alliance for Children (support and streamlining of services for abused children), and Women's Haven (battered women's shelter & services system). I can't see myself getting involved in some of the larger scale stuff until my kid(s) are quite a bit older. Habitat for Humanity would be one I'd enjoy working with. Oh, and do we get to count hours spent in CITO?

[+DustyJacket]

Hmmmm....

Over 12 years as a volunteer Police Officer.

Minimum 16hrs/week, total probably 12,000 - 15,000 hours

Shot at twice (only got hit once), stabbed once, 2 car wrecks, untold number of "altercations", continuous ringing in my ears until I die.

I think I did my fair share, but that was pre-1990.

 

Now have under 100 hours adjusting maps for the USGS.

 

And now maybe 100 - 120 hours geocaching of which 5 are CITO.