Hero Discoveries

When we are finding out in our inquiry we can use experts, go on visits, use books and go onto sites on the internet.

Here are some of our discoveries about Heroes
We will add some more at reading time.

• Police use speaker phones - Nick
• Years and years ago police used horses, in some coutries police use horses today. Georgia and Hamish
• Police save people - Will T.
• Maui is a trickster, Maui tamed the sun, he is a hero in Maori stories. Finn
• Fireman get water from the drains and they practise - Will B
• Helen Keller invented a way of reading for blind people - Jack
• Special Police use guns they are called AOS- Eden
• You can go to the internet to find information about heroes - Isabella
• Police dogs can jump over walls- Zach
• If a shark is coming the lifeguard will help by getting everyone out of the water. - Josh
• Guide dogs are allowed to go into the supermarket. - Hamish
• Fireman have number plates - Flynn
• Sometimes people light fires, it doesn't just happen. - Flynn
• It takes 10 minutes to get to Akaroa in the WRH. - Isabella

Westpac Rescue Helicopter

On Wednesday 1st April Team 20 visited the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. It was very interesting and we were able to talk to Rick and Andy. They told us all about their job which sounded very exciting. We were able to ask lots of questions.

Do rescue workers get hurt or injured?
Yes but hopefully not often!

Has anyone left and changed their job from working here?
Yes they change jobs and leave because it is a very stressful and noisy job.

Do you have a flying ambulance plane here?
There is a flying ambulance, it isn’t here it is over closer to the airport in the flying ambulance hangar.

How fast does the helicopter go?
The helicopters speed is 120KTS or 200km/per hour

Have you used the helicopter to help at a fire?
Yes there is a big monsoon bucket in the hangar which we hook onto the helicopter. It holds 1000 litres of water.

Have you saved anyone before? Has anyone died in an emergency that you have been to?
We have saved lots of people but people have died too, it is a very sad part of our job.

How did you learn to do this job?
We go to University for 3 years and then we work on the ambulance for 10 years before we can work here.

Where do you keep all your special gear?
In special places inside the helicopter, there is not much room in the helicopter.

What fuel does the helicopter use?
Jet A1, which is like kerosene.

How high does the helicopter go?
10,000 feet

Do you wear a special uniform?
We have a special flight suit that is red and fire proof. We have another special suit for when we do sea rescues.

Has the helicopter been damaged?
Yes, only a few weeks ago some birds flew into the helicopter and damaged it. We were on the way to Mt Cook.

How do you save people?
We fly to them and use bandages and medicine to make them feel better and then fly them to the hospital.

Do you feel like a hero?
Anyone who helps other people is a hero.



Other interesting pieces of information
The cost to replace the helicopter is $7million
The cost to run the helicopter for one hour is $3500
The helmet cost $3000
It takes the helicopter 12 minutes to get to Akaroa and 40 minutes to get to Greymouth.
Auckland. Wellington and Christchurch all have red helicopters but Dunedin has a black helicopter.
The area covered by the Chch helicopter is from Waitaki to half way between Kaikoura and Blenheim and off shore areas too.

A very big thank you to Di, Deb, Chris, Kerry and Shelley who helped out on the trip by providing transport.

St John Ambuance Visit Team 20

Today Kerry from St John ambulance came to school. Kerry came over to the class and told us a bit about being an ambulance officer. They showed us inside the ambulance, rolled the bed down a ramp and Hamish got put in the stretcher bed.
Kerry showed us all the equipment but Josh was interested in the breathing gear. We all got to walk through the back of the ambulance. Kerry turned on the sirens and they were VERY LOUD! They had lots of lockers to put all their equipment in. The ambulance had an electric step. They had seat belts on the bed and in the truck to keep patients safe. Kerry had most of his gear in a special back pack. Other equipment was in the ambulance cupboards.
Did you know that most ambulance officers don't work for money they work because they like their job and helping others?



Kerry's Answers to Our Questions
St John Ambulance
How did you learn to do your job?
I started in St John when I was 12 years old. We have a special programme that we call Penguins that 6 year olds can learn to do things. We do lots of training and practise.
Has anyone left and changed their job ?
Some people come to us from other jobs and others go to other jobs
Have you ever had to use a helicopter or ambulance as part of your work?
No, I work in the city. We don’t use the helicopter in town. I have picked people from the helicopter at Hagley Park and take the patient to hospital.
Where do you keep all your special things that are needed in your job?
We keep a lot of it in the ambulance. It is a rolling storeroom. Everywhere we go we have everything we need. We do have bags to take inside.
What tools do you use for your job?
Our number one tool is our brain. If you are sick I have to ask you questions to find out what is wrong. We use needles, bandages, our truck.
Why do you do your job? Do you like it?
I get to help people and I get love to help others. I love to my job.
Have you saved anyone before? Have you been there when someone has died?
Yes I have I have been to some emergencies where is we haven’t have helped then they would have died. I have been there when people have died it is a very sad part of our job.
How do you know what to do?
We do lots of learning and we practise to but we pretend and use computer games to help us with our training. Practise, practise, practise.
Is it hard to do your job?
Sometimes it is hard on your brain and your body. Sometimes it is easy too, depends on the patient.
Do you feel like a hero?
No I don’t feel like a hero. I am an average person doing my job

Georgia – Has anyone in the crew been sick?
Yes sometimes they have had to take members of the crew to hospital and sometimes people new to the job faint when they see yucky things.

We are allowed to go 30km faster than the speed limit. Our new truck is called a Fiat Sprinter.

Interesting fact. Most St John workers are volunteers, that means that they don’t get paid.

Nurses Visiting Team 20

On Monday Angela Voogt and Di Cooke came in to talk to us about being nurses. We think nurses are heroes!

Here are some of the questions we asked and their answers.



Has anyone left and changed their job from being a nurse?
Di changed from being a nurse to being a mid wife.
Angela has, she went to on the computer and then she came back to being a nurse

Have you ever been on the rescue helicopter or worked as part of the flying doctors?
Di said that in some places there are not midwives and I have to go in the helicopter or on the plane to help these mothers.
Angela has been in the ambulance but not the helicopter or air ambulance

Eden – How did you learn to be a nurse?
Di went to polytech to learn to be nurse, then learned for another year to be a mid wife. She did training at hospital too. A midwife helps mothers have their babies.
Angela went to a school for three years to learn to be a nurse

Do you feel like a hero?
Di said, “ No I think I am just doing my job.”
Angela said no she just likes to help people and do her job

Is it hard to be a nurse?
Sometimes it is hard to a midwife I have to stay up all night and all day. I have to concentrate to treat people correctly.

How do you know what to do?
When I was at polytech I learned what to do at different times.
She learned by doing the same things over again at her school

Where do you keep all your special things at the hospital?
Di has a special locker at hospital where I keep my toothbrush
Angela – in drawers and cupboards

Have you helped someone that has been badly hurt before?
Di has helped people that are very sick but they are not usually hurt
Angela – said that she has helped people and has heard about nurses that have helped people that are badly hurt

What tools do you use for your job?
Di said:
1. An arm band to check blood pressure
2. A Doppler Di uses this to put on Mum’s tummies to listen to the babies heart beat

Angela uses all kinds of tools.

Where do you get them from?
A special shop for nurses things

Why are you a nurse? Do you like it?
I love helping people that is why I am a nurse.

Have you saved anyone before? Have you been there when someone has died?
The babies can get sick in their Mum’s tummies or they can die when they just come out.
Angela said that she has helped people and has heard about nurses that have helped people that are very badly hurt

Airforce Helicopter at FOS

Today the air force helicopter and 5 of its crew visited Fendalton School. The whole school was in assembly and Mr Sibson told us to follow him and look up for a hero. One person thought it might be superman and someone else thought that it might be God or Jesus coming to Fendalton school.
The field was all marked off and we waited around the edges. In the distance we heard a propeller going around and we knew it was a helicopter. The helicopter kept going around the school and then it stopped up in the air. One of the crew was winched down onto the field.
Later on we were able to go back to the helicopter and we went through it and asked the crew some questions. The pilot said he didn't feel like a hero, he was just doing his job. It took him about 2 years to learn to be a pilot.
Just before lunch the helicopter got ready to leave. It lifted off and left someone behind. She had to be lifted up into the helicopter with winch.
What an exciting day at Fendalton School!

Fire fighters at Fendalton

Today we had a fabulous visit from a watch from the Harewood Fire Station. They talked to us and we were able to ask them lots of question.
We then went out to the truck and had a look at all their special gear.

We had thought of lots of interesting questions to ask them.

Nick – How does your suit not burn?
Our gear is made of lots of layers. It has fire-proof layers and a rubber layer. We get very very hot. The hoses we have pushes the fire away as well.

Flynn – Do fire fighters get hurt?
Yes, some times they do get hurt.
Has anyone left and changed their job from being a firefighter?
Yes as we get older we retire and some go to try other jobs.

Zach – How can you breathe in the smoke?
We have special equipment for breathing.

Yusuf – How do you save people from the fires?
We wear special equipment and go into the room. We have set rules and a special way to search a room. It is called a search pattern.

Nicholas – How fast does the fire truck go?
Depends who is driving, we are only allowed to go 20km over the speed limit. We have to be safe so we don’t have an accident.

Josh – Have you ever had a fire where you have had to use a helicopter?
Yes out at McLean’s Island, there were lots of scrub fires.

Will T – What if there is a fire at your house?
Ring the fire service.

Georgia – Have you saved anyone before? Has anyone died in a fire that you have been to?
Craig has saved a couple of people, but he has seen lots of people that have died particularly people in car crashes. Fire engines go to car crashes and have to cut the car t get people out.

Eden – How did you learn to be a firefighter?
Lots of training

Isabella – Where do you keep all your special gear?
There is a special locker room at work and we have our gear all ready beside the truck. Some things are put inside the truck. Lots of special equipment is kept in special places on the truck.

Payton – Has your suit broken or been damaged before?
Sent away to get cleaned and needs patching. They last 6 – 8 years. The sun is not good for them. They are sent to Auckland to get cleaned.

Lucy – Have you been burnt before?
Just my ears, but fireman can be injured.

Do you feel like a hero?
We see our job as helping people. We work with three other men on a truck and need them to do the job that we choose to do. We work as a team, I don’t think of my self as hero it is my job.

We learned a lot and we had fun too!


http://picasaweb.google.com/fosroom20/HarewoodFireFightersMovie?authkey=Gv1sRgCMTxrc6Nq6z4BA#5314430617365498578

What we are looking forward to this afternoon

We are excited about the firemen coming to see us today because they are going to tell us about being a hero. Hero's are special people and they help others. Firemen are very brave.(Georgia).

The firemen can tell us all about fires(Finn)

The best part about the firemen coming today is that they are funny. (Hamish)

I am looking forward to the fire people coming because I want to learn about the firefighters. (Yusuf)

I want to know how the firefighters get through fires without getting burnt.(NIck)

I am looking forward to this afternoon because I would like to see what they wear. They have special clothes. (Charlotte)

I would like to know how the firemen breathe in a fire. (Zach)

We would like to know what the firemen do and if they use orange and red lights on their trucks and when they use them.(Payton).

I am looking forward to the firemen coming because I think they are clever. (Jasmine).

I am looking forward to seeing the fire fighters and telling us about being a hero.(Isabella)

I would like to look in the firetruck and if they have stickers I would like one of them too! (Will B)

I want to know if the firemen get hurt. (Flynn).

I want to know how you get into the houses when there is a fire. (Austin)

I am looking forward to seeing the truck and having a look inside it. (William T).

I would like to know how the firemen protect themselves from the fire.(Lucy)

I would like to know how the firemen learn't how to fight fires. (Eden)

I am looking forward to asking the firemen how fast they can go in their truck.(Abby).

I would like to know if the firemen have ever been to a fire and had to use a helicopter. (Josh)

I would like the firemen to teach us what to do in a fire. (Nicholas)

I am looking forward to the firemen coming because they can teach us. (Clara)

The firemen are coming today and thats good because I would like to show them our classroom and see what they look like. (Samuel)

I am looking forward to seeing the firetruck and the firemen and I want to know if the firemen need to be brave to do it! (Jack).

Thinking About Heroes

Yesterday we had a list of people we thought were heroes.

We had to rank them from 1 - 5.

Here is what we thought the Number 1 position should be

Police Officer - 8 people
I chose this because Police can do lots of things that other people can't do. Josh
I chose this because Police catch baddies Nicholas
Because Police help us stay safe.

Fire Fighter - 2 people
Fire fighters can save people. Zach
They spray houses when they are on fire. Nick

All Black - 1 person
Because they are really fast. Finn

Mum or Dad - 4 people
Because they get money for their families. Jack
They do jobs, working most of the day and night to get things done. Eden

Guide Dog - 5 people
They help people that are blind - Payton
Dogs help them cross the road

Hero or Villian?

A man in Dunedin got arrested for taking rubbish out of the rubbish skip at Countdown Dunedin. After he takes the rubbish out, he has been giving it away.

He says that Countdown is wasting heaps of food and other items that shouldn't be thrown away. Countdown thinks he is trespassing and stealing. But he has been arrested.

Is this man a hero or is he a villian and why? Write your ideas as comments to this blog post.

Heroes in Our Stories

We shared stories when we had been involved in an emergency or had a time when we had heard about a hero. In our stories we had ambulance officers, doctors, nurses, mountain medics, the rescue helicopter, friends and police officers.

Eden talked about Beau needing stitches and going to the doctor.
Josh talked about his Dad's friend falling off a mountain bike and needing the rescue helicopter.
Hamish's sister fell off the chair lift and broke her leg. She had to go to hospital.
Georgia talked about breaking her leg and Jeff taking her to hospital

We are going to invite these people to our class to see if they can talk to us about being a hero and being part of an emergency.