October was a busy month filled with more work than ever for the Ragin’ Raleighs. It began with the crew finalizing and completing CWPPs in Brunswick County. Then they set their sights a bit to the west of Brunswick, on Bladen County. A visit from Program Manager Brian Doughty was a welcomed source of encouragement and enlightenment as the crew hit the five month mark of their internship. The Ragin’ Raleighs volunteered at Kidsfest in Goldsboro, NC, helping out at a fire prevention booth with the Wayne County NCFS Ranger and Assistant Ranger. Additionally, the crew spent 11 days representing both the SCA and NCFS in the FireWise building at the North Carolina State Fair. This was a great experience as they got to interact with a variety of interesting people and eat some tasty fair treats, too! Despite the crazy schedule, crew members still found time to continue work on their individual parts of the final project. The Ragin’ Raleighs were happy they began the final project early on, as things got pretty hectic towards the end of October. A field day at Jordan Lake State Park allowed the Ragin’ Raleighs to complete their Fire in the Field course. Crew members constructed a handline, used a drip torch, and practiced deploying their fire shelters. Culminating the experience was the dreaded final exam, which turned out to be not as intimidating as originally imagined. To optimize work efficiency and decrease fuel consumption the Ragin’ Raleighs spent a night in Bladen County at Singletary Lake State Park, and later in Onslow County in the Croatan National Forest. As the leaves began to change colors, October came to an end. The crew discovered the joys of a rained out Halloween in the form of massive sugar binges on November 1st. The Ragin’ Raleighs focused work efforts on finalizing drafts in Bladen County, creating rough drafts in Jones and Onslow Counties, beginning interviews in Guilford County, and prepping to part ways following the completion of their internship in Raleigh.
