Amidst the January rain, LASA gathered at Beverly Hills Fire Station 1 to learn about working in a fire station, their nurse practitioner program, and the data-drive research of Professor Monalisa Chatterjee and Graduate Student Aurora Massari. From responding to health calls to contemplating the role of climate in wildfires, the students rotated through stations within the house to hear from the entire team.
LASA students Ashlyn and Alondra share their reflections on the day:
Ashlyn: Today’s LASA meeting is definitely one to remember—probably my favorite so far. I remember my elementary school class being visited by firefighters and having a lot of fun learning about them then. It was so amazing to relive that experience in a way, but with a lot more knowledge now that I’m older. It was really inspiring to hear about all of the hard work and dedication that goes into being a firefighter. One thing I particularly liked about today was that we got to hear from a lot of people all working at the station, as opposed to just one or two.
I think that it provided a lot more insight into how multifaceted the job is, as well as how certain roles differ from each other. It was also interesting to hear about how the fire department works with other LA sectors, like healthcare. Today was a really great balance of fun but educational, and while I don’t know if I’d be up to a firefighting job, it’s given me a lot to think about for the future.
Alondra: Being at the Beverly Hills Fire Department was so so eventful. The slight rain was ironic because of us learning about fires and the whole process of their field of work. I was fascinated to see the extremely long fire truck and was surprised when we learned that it required two drivers. One controlled the gas and brake pedals in the front, like an everyday driver. The person in the back controls the back tires because of the fact it is so long. It was also interesting to see their rooms and overall way that they live there on their 2:4 day work schedule.
You can really see their bond as a family though they are not blood related…My favorite part was having little conversations with [the team during lunch]. We had the space to make little jokes. Another exciting part was seeing the pole and seeing them go down it. By far, one of my favorite trips.
LASA is so grateful to the entire shift, Engineer Mitch Furman, Battalion Chief Scott Stevens, Prof. Monalisa Chatterjee, Aurora Massari, and Dr. Jameson Karns for making the day possible.