S1 EP4 - V(3) Orientation Camp

After about two and a half months...

"It's nice that you've gathered here again. As you may have already heard, you will go to an orientation camp in about a week. I want to test what you have already learned so far. There you will be almost exclusively on your own. Therefore, you should prepare thoroughly. A little tip, it's off to Palais." Just like every year... Hmmm... we have two people from Palais in our group... We will certainly do well...

#day of departure

We gather at the old train station and wait for further instructions.

"So, the train is about to arrive. Please stay close to your leaders."

When the old, traditional train arrives, there are many surprised but also disappointed faces.

"We're supposed to travel in this?", Saskia asks skeptically, "It'll take us twice as long to get to Palais!" "As a guard, you can't always travel comfortably. Besides, you need the time to familiarize yourselves with the maps, etc. So, get in!"

On the train, we're separated according to our groups and our leaders test the most important things.

"Okay... let's get started..." Mr. Freed looks at the red emergency backpack we've been given and starts fumbling around in it.

"How did the crisis model go again?"

"Do you mean CAOS?", Ivory asks half interested, to which he nods and she continues.

"C, stands for crisis mode. Self-protection applies first, then other-protection with first aid, blah blah blah..."

"Take this a little more serious Ivory, please."

"Okay... A, stands for analysis of the situation. What happened, what resources you have available and the know-how to do it.

O, stands for organizing the next steps. Who does what, therefore task-management is meant.

And S stands for the safety net. Is there any way I can leave a message, how do we work together, and what does the group distribution looks like if necessary."

"What does the SAFE scheme look like...Kuro?"

"Safety first, attention to the injured person and what has to be done, preventing serious consequences of the injured person by basic measures and advanced aid by further examination, immobilization, wound care and evacuation."

"A little short... Well, what are the five basic measures? Grey?"

"First, treat the cause and stop the bleeding. Second, proper positioning. Third, reassurance and breathing instructions. Fourth, heat preservation. Fifth, monitor vital signs."

"Good... What roles are there to distribute in an emergency with enough people? Violet?"

"The coordinator, who keeps track of everything and directs others if necessary, the provider, who takes care of the patient directly, and the one who calls 911. The rest should only help when needed, otherwise keep a low profile."

"Very nice..."

After we have gone through everything, we are advised to rest. He briefly emphasizes again that we should check the emergency backpack, but after all that theory, our heads are smoking. We'll do this later...

As we get there, we are handed the maps of Palais by my mom. All groups start from different positions to prevent running into each other.

"The red dot is your current position. Find the place Stelzheim, plan a route and get going. You may use your compass. Oh, the maps have no claim to completeness or correctness. We expect you no later than 10:00 noon the day after tomorrow. Whoever comes later will be punished. By the way, it can also be done by tomorrow evening..."

With these words, she briefly stops and smiles at me. Just now, was that directed at me, or what was the look for?!

We lose no time and start immediately. It is already quite late, the sun will set soon.

It gets darker and darker. And colder.

"Guys... we should set up a camp first," suggests Jay.

"You're right...does anyone have a lighter?"

"Yeah sure Grey, it's in the backpack." I open the backpack and rummage for the lighter.

"Eh... can someone light it?" Grey shines his flashlight over and helps me. But we still can't find a lighter.

"Mr. Freed fiddled with it before... and we didn't check the backpack afterwards..." interjects Ivory.

"..." That night is going to be cold... Suddenly it starts raining. I hate wetness...

"Oh nah..."

"It's okay... we have rain gear after all...", Jay tries to cheer me up.

For a while, half of us just stand there staring into space.

"Actually, it's not that 'shitty' here," Kuro says monotonously, "It could be worse..."

Puzzled, I look over at Kuro. His vocabulary is so unlike him... is he okay? I carefully glance at him.

"Ah... I see... Guys, Kuro is right. Don't you know? You're supposed to always think positive in a survival situation. So instead of sulking around here, we'd better actively look for a solution. So, how can we isolate ourselves from the wind, the ground cold, and the wet?"

We find twigs and place them on thick, neatly arranged branches and build a partially slanted roof. In addition, we create some sort of roof with the aluminum blankets. After that we all cuddle up close and try to get through the night. I definitely want to arrive at the camp before tomorrow evening. Not gonna repeat that crap.