Cell Foggers and Streamers

So, I haven't been really big on putting this out there, but I recently took a job with the Department of Corrections. I am working as a Corrections Officer, and I have been continuously surprised by the training. 

Today, we started with some classroom training, but the part I was looking forward to was the "Chemical Munitions" training. I should have known better. 

We talked the LPN who is just starting to come do this part of the training with us. She was a trooper, even though she didn't need to have the training. 

To get right to it, we started with going over some of the terminology and then proper use of cell foggers and streamers. We were given gas masks for our time in the gas shack. This is where we would simulate a cell extraction, but without the extraction part. That was pretty exciting because we got a lot of gas in there. We did a few dosey-dos to kick up the particulates. 

The instructors demonstrated what they wanted from us. Remove our gas mask, say our name, answer a question, and finally don and clear the mask. I thought simple enough. I'd done this a multitude of times in the Marine Corps. I volunteered to go first. I figured I would show the rest of the class there was nothing to be afraid of as most of them had never encountered this situation before. 

I removed my mask, exhaled and took a big breath of the gas... I was able to get out "Cody" and then I started struggling. Next question: How old are you? I tried to get out the 29, but I just couldn't get it out. The instructor said to put my mask back on. All day I had been going over the muscle memory of clearing my mask as I was taught in the Marine Corps. However, I tried to clear the mask in a similar fashion to the instructor. That way does not work nearly as well. I was let out of the gas shack to recover from the cell fogger. 

As people were let out, I would have to assume it was much easier to answer the questions. I won't know I guess...

We made the trek back from the gas shack to the barn where we next prepared ourselves for the streamer. Now this stuff was nasty when we were spraying it on the target. It got us all sneezing and coughing. I rubbed my eye once and immediately regretted it. So we partnered up to have somebody help us get to the sink to wash it off after we had been sprayed. 

I volunteered to go first again. This was probably one of my best decisions yet. 

The training consists of being sprayed across the forehead and letting the streamer run down in your eyes. Then you have to elbow and knee the instructor holding a large pad, find a baton laying on the ground and strike the pad a few more times. Sounds simple enough. 

I put on safety glasses to avoid a direct hit in the eyes, said I was ready, and the instructor started spraying. 

One pass and my forehead was on fire. Next was a direct hit to my left eye as he sweeped my face again.   It was this point I thought the devil had stuck his finger directly into my eye. A couple more sweeps and my partner pulled the glasses off my face. All I was thinking was, "Holy shit! Find the instructor. Deliver the fastest strikes humanly possible. Throw the baton and head for the bathroom!" 

Imaging taking Sriracha sauce and inserting it directly into your eyes. You know how bad that stuff burns on the way in - and out. Now put it in your eye. Then imagine it 100 times worse. 

Running water on it didn't help. Baby shampoo rubbed directly into my eyes didn't help. Standing out in the wind to dry it didn't help. It took me two trips to the bathroom to rinse my face off and get that crap out of my eyes. 

So, I recover after a bit. It probably took 10 minutes for me to fully recover and get both eyes open. It was rough stuff. Everybody performed admirably when sprayed. Some took two minutes to recover and others took considerably longer. 

We were allowed to go home after that. I got home and thought I would just hop in the shower. My ears were burning pretty badly from the spray still. I wanted to get that crap off my skin immediately. I jumped in the shower - a very cold shower. I didn't want to get hot and have my pores open up larger. Thirty seconds into the shower I was completely on fire again. At least I could see, but my face was reaching boiling point. I couldn't even finish my shower. It was horrible. My ears were so hot again. I had to take a picture of it because it was just so unbearable. You can see all the redness. You can even see the heat, comparable to the surface of the sun, on my scalp.  

Even as I write this my face still hurts. I'm glad that it's over. I just hope I get to do it again at some point. Right, just like I want a shotgun blast to the face.