"On Fire"

“On Fire”

1.      What process does Brown describe?

Brown uses process narrative which is based on storytelling and the steps of events.  He’s describing his work and the steps that he goes through.

2. How is this essay unlike the typical process explanation, presented in strict chronological

order? Why does this departure “fit” his subject matter/occupation?

This essay is different than a typical step by step instruction of the fire fighters job.  He lists events that happens and what kind of tools, uniform, truck, people, he works with.  Stuff he sees on a daily basis.  I believe he chose to do it this way, because each day is different and this explains the whole meaning of his job.

3.In the first paragraph, Brown uses a simile when he says that one of the things a firefighter learns is that they “can burn like a candle.” What other examples of figurative language does he use? How does such language enhance the essay?

“You learn that you are only human flesh, not Superman”,   The way he uses his language in the speech, makes you realize how much goes into his job just in that speech .  He uses descriptive writing in his speech as well explaining each piece on the truck, and explaining his uniform.  The language makes you want to keep reading to know what happens next.  It makes the story more in tense.

4.Throughout his essay, Brown repeatedly uses the second-person pronoun you. Why do you think Brown uses the second-person perspective, instead of the more usual first- (I) or thirdperson (he or she) in his essay? What effect does it have?

I believe he is referring if you were ever in his shoes this is what you would experience, so instead of him using I he uses you, so the reader can get the idea of his work and what’s involved with it.  It has the effect that it makes you want to appreciate the job you have and appreciate the job the firefighters do for us.

5.      What overall impression(s) of firefighting do you think Brown wishes to convey? How is this purpose exemplified in his final paragraph?

I believe the overall impression is Brown wants you to know how well trained his firefighters are and how proud he is knowing each item of the truck and how it works and the test runs.  I believe the purpose of it is to prove to you they are proud of their work and they know it like the back of their hand and they don’t take anything for granted.

Working as a Certified Nursing assistant (C.N.A.), you are continuously busy.  Coming into work day shift, you are not sure how the day is going to pan out.  Some days its fine with no issues, other days it’s rough, to the point where you get so stressed you just want to walk away.

            The first part of the shift you get everyone out of bed and dressed, showered, toileted for breakfast.  Knowing you only have an hour to get close to 26 patients up and dressed, noting they are elders so they move much slower than us and everything they do is much slower like a snail, when you need to be fast paced because you have another resident yelling help or calling on their call light to get up to go to the bathroom.  This job not only takes amounts of patience, but you sometimes don’t get bathroom breaks when you want to take them, lunch breaks or a break in general.  You are constantly on your feet answering call lights and reporting to the nurses it’s hard to get everything done within one eight hour shift.  If night shift doesn’t re-fill the towels, linens, briefs, gloves, soaps, it adds that much more time in the day to get something out of the supply room.  Once the residents are up and have eaten their breakfast and the C.N.A.s have cleaned up the trays we then toilet whoever needs to be toileted and changed, and lay down residents that want to nap, or get them ready for activities.  Between that time there could be a slight break where we try to step out and take a fifteen minute break.  Once we come back we finish up making beds, pass ice water, clean up the rooms and shower and get whoever else there is to get up.  Some residents refuse their showers so it’s difficult when there isn’t much time before lunch and they decide they want their shower ten minutes before the lunch trays come.  Some residents are on a schedule and stick to it, they like to get up and be ready for breakfast, where some residents like to stay in bed and lounge around, which I can’t blame them.  I wouldn’t want to be bothered either.  Once we get caught up we start getting the residents ready for lunch.  Once lunch comes we then set the residents at their tables and serve them lunch.  We help feed residents that can’t feed themselves.  We then chart how much each resident ate and how much they drank during their meals.  We then take them to their rooms, we clean the dining room up and start the process of toileting who needs to be toileted and laying residents down that want to take an afternoon nap.  Then we wait for lights if they need anything, and begin to chart our daily Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).  We chart if they have been showered, toileted how many times, if they are active or passive, if they have chair alarms, bed alarms, cushions in their chairs, if they use a lift and we initial and move on the next residents charting.  Then second shift comes in we do a walk through and they begin their shift and we clock out.

Being a C.N.A. seems stressful, but going throughout the day you get to laugh with the residents, hear their funny comments, give them a candy bar, bring them a slice of pizza when we our administration gets us food, get them a coke, or simply buy them a burger while on your lunch break.  This job can be stressful, but while you are doing the job you can’t help but laugh, and keep a smile on your face.  The residents are so thankful for the work you put in for them.  Working with them on a daily basis you get to learn their routine and you get to know their history and hear stories of them growing up where they work. You see them light up when they see a resident that is new in the same nursing home they are in that they went to high school with.  They can’t wait to tell you.  You get them the news paper every morning and watch a clip with them on TV.  The job isn’t as bad as one thinks it would be.  It’s an awarding job and you grow close to you patient and you only want the best for them.