SIDENOTE: If I put

-SLT- in the comments on the side, it means something like that. lol :P
Whole Life Paper

Adam Mulchi

Intro to Engineering Technology-031 Professor McDaniel September 23, 2011

I have neither given nor received any unauthorized help on this assignment, nor witnessed any violation of the UNC Charlotte Code of Academic Integrity.

09/20/2011

There are many different aspects of engineering as well as multiple career paths. My main focus is on Fire Safety Engineering Technology. This major incorporates all aspects of fire

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related careers. Engineering is involved in the critical thinking portion of firefighting. Firefighters must be quick to think and able to make informed decisions. When graduating with a Fire Safety degree, a person graduates first as an Engineer with a focus on fire safety. Having a degree is imperative in todays society and to become a firefighter the degree helps make a person stand out from a crowd. Impact. Firefighting is a well-respected career that is a staple in any flourishing society. Firefighters are the brave men and women who run into burning buildings when everyone else is running out. Most people would never dream of doing what these people do every day. They use the most up-to-date equipment and technology to adequately put out fire. The pay is roughly $35000 starting out with only a GED. As a civil servant, firefighters are in line with paramedics and police officers. The ranks increase from firefighter 1-Fire Chief. With rank increase, pay also rises (CollegeGrad). Fire Safety Engineering Technology is strongly pushed by the fire department but is not necessary for basic firefighters; however, a degree is required to advance in the higher levels of the department. The Fire Department is set up so that shifts are not every day. Each shift rotates and is usually off at least 24 hours between work days. While on duty, firefighters will maintain equipment and apparatus. This includes SCBAs (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), protective gear, and trucks. If a call comes in, the firefighters enter the truck and head towards the scene of the incident. General response time is between two to five minutes thus ensuring maximum possibility of survival for the victim. Once on scene, the captain or chief in charge will direct operations and give orders. He or she must know information about the structure in flames and the best way to contain/extinguish the blaze. Firefighters use many different tactics when confronting fire, but the main goal is always safety for the men and women entering the building as well as the victims. However not all of the calls made fire firefighters are fire related. Roughly 80 percent of all calls are medical. As a result, all full-time firefighters are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) as well. Firefighters are well-rounded individuals who are trained to help anyone in need (Hall, 6). Fire Safety Engineering Technology is the major directly related to a career in the fire service. In the course, every aspect of the job is covered as well as the different career opportunities possible. The main path is for those who want to be directly involved in fire. Other opportunities include Fire Inspector/ Investigator, and Fire Prevention personnel. The group as a whole is referred to as a public safety organization (CollegeGrad). Fire Inspectors and Investigators are responsible for building codes and determining causes of fire. Building codes are always being reviewed and changed to coincide with the change in construction and materials of buildings. Investigation occurs after a fire takes place and is extremely important in making sure a similar fire does not happen. Investigation also determines if the fire was accidental or intentionally caused. Arson is a criminal offense and is punished harshly because of the damage it causes as well as the potential for loss of life. Fire prevention is the base of the Fire Safety degree. Ronny Coleman said, There is no honor in fighting a fire that could have been prevented. He understood the importance of fire prevention and pushed for increased knowledge and education involving fire safety. Fire prevention comes in three forms: passive, active, and education. Passive fire prevention covers

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everything from interior finish to furniture inside the structure, anything flammable. Active prevention includes sprinkler systems and other forms of extinguishing the fire. Both aspects are important but secondary to education. In educating the public on the importance of fire safety, there is less loss of life which is always the main focus. In pursuing this career path, I hope to make a positive name for myself while maintaining the life of a little man. This means I will be out helping the public with the title of firefighter and not taking credit as an individual. I will make a positive impact of everyone I come in contact with. If a firefighter is called out that means someone is in trouble. Therefore every call is an opportunity to show people the good that firefighters can do. One of the challenges of becoming a firefighter is getting hired and staying on the department. With the economy in shambles, the hiring process has become more of a competition. The Fire Safety degree will help in my efforts but can only accomplish so much. Also, once I get on then I have to trust that the government will not make cuts to the fire department. This is why a positive impact on the public is needed. With the help of the people, we can influence government to maintain a strong fire department. The impact of the Fire industry can be easily seen through the good work they do. Firefighters are first responders and are always called when an emergency occurs. The general public knows the importance of such individuals. They are always in the public eye, both good and bad. Firefighters are a main protective agency in any society. They save lives and have genuine compassion for the public. To be a firefighter is to be called to excellence. Passion. September 11, 2001, ten years ago planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings thus changing thousands of peoples lives including mine. However, the change in my life was not buried beneath the rubble. I did not lose anyone in that tragic event as many Americans did; I discovered what path my life would take. Upon seeing video and pictures of firefighters rushing into those fateful buildings made me realize I could not sit around and let people die, I had to do something. I realized then that I wanted to become a firefighter. I have many attributes that will help me in my career path. I am a strong team player but can accomplish tasks on my own when necessary. I get along with almost everyone and am slow to anger. These characteristics will help out in the fire service which is all about teamwork. Every shift is a team of men and women who literally put their lives in the hands of their coworkers. There is great trust in those you work with, and many firefighters compare the team to a family. My ability to work as a team and get along with people is priceless. I will be a team player and trust those I work with; in return they will rely on me. The bond will be exactly what firefighters say: a family. To this day my heart still races when seeing pictures of the firefighters running up those stairs to help perfect strangers. The passion those men and women displayed paled that of any I had seen before outside of military and other first responders. I needed to be one of them, and for the next ten years I felt as if I was sitting around waiting to accomplish my goal. I did take steps to make my dreams reality and enrolled in the Fire Safety program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I see college as one more step into reaching for what I truly want. The

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overall goal of my life is to be there when someone needs help. This is the reason why I am here and defines me as a person. My desire to help people is what drives me on the career path I have chosen. I need to help out anyone who is in a dire situation, and when sitting around I feel helpless. I have a constant nagging to be out in the real world doing anything I can to better society. I see myself as a capable person, so I should use that to help those less fortunate. This is my duty to the public and the best way I see to give back to people. Whenever I do something for someone else, even as small as holding the door, I feel as if I have accomplished a great task. To make someone else feel important is the most rewarding feeling in the world and cannot be duplicated. Reflection. In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey describes a paradigm as the way we see the world. My paradigm is my goal of becoming a firefighter. This means going through college and the other procedures involved with the hiring process. Before reading this book I saw everything as a single focused mission. Get to college, do my work, graduate, get hired. Whole Life Concept 1 Those were my goals, this was the way I saw the world. My mind was made up, I knew where I was going and I knew how to get there. The problem was not the path I was taking, the problem was my paradigm. After realizing the paradigm I was focused on, I began to see the value of the paradigm shift. I saw the course I was on as a single line, my life with a single beginning and an eventual end. However I neglected the other lines which intertwined my own. I forgot the people and events which influenced me and had a major impact on the decisions in my life. I began to see that my life was not only about me, I realized that I could help out anyone who I came in contact with. My paradigm shifted from my single focused goals to a broader picture of my life and the lives around me. My desire to help people did not have to wait until I became a firefighter, I could start at any moment of my choosing. The impact firefighters make can easily be seen, but the passion is what drives firefighters every day. Many people consider firefighting as a job, but any firefighter will tell you it is much more than that. I realize now that passion is what is most important in my pursuit of a career in the fire department. In figure 1, passion is the center of all aspects of engineering. It needs to be the focal point in a career. All other aspects derive from that single emotion. Without passion, a job is simply that, a chore a person does in order to survive. Without passion a positive impact is unobtainable.

Figure 1

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I am currently on the path to becoming a firefighter. September 11 is the cause of my career decision and the reason I passionately pursue it. I hope to make a positive impact on the world through my desire to help people around me. My paradigm has shifted from a single focused view to a broader perspective of my impact on the world. I will continue to accomplish my goals and retain my passion to help. I realize now that I do not need to wait until I become a firefighter. I can accomplish my goals every moment of the day, this is my new paradigm.

You.are.a.precious. Only a few small things mostly grammar and such. This is really great, and I smiled through the whole thing . That happens a lot though when it comes to stuff that deals with you.. ;) HOPE THIS HELPED! CALL/TEXT/SKYPE/COMESEEMEINPERSON IF YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS -The last option is HIGHLY preferred<3

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Citations: 1) Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change(New York: Free Press). 2) Norman Hall, Firefighter Exam Preparation Book (Massachusetts: Adam Media). 3) Career Information, GollegeGrad.com, accessed September 20, 201l,
http://www.collegegrad.com/careers/servi21.shtml