Don’t Panic

June 7, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

We had an interesting experience on Saturday.

Pauline, James and I were at a local shopping centre having a quick bite to eat when a very loud alarm started sounding. It was like a quick, loud blast on a horn every second. We started looking around to see what was going on when there was a sudden and very loud clattering sound. It sounded as if the building was collapsing. It was terrifying. We then realised that a massive exhaust fan almost directly above us had just kicked in. I think they need to get it checked if it makes that noise every time it starts.

Danger Will Robinson

Next thing, the horn blasting stops and immediately a siren starts. The warning system had gone to a new level.

The weird thing was, no one seemed to care. People were still going about their business. I kept an eye on the shopkeepers thinking that they would be able to give some direction but the guy at the donut shop was still making milkshakes and no one else really seemed concerned.

After a couple of minutes a few shops started to close their doors and then the move was on. Everyone in the centre started moving very casually towards the exits. We all stood around outside as murmurs went through the crowd that it was a fire alarm. Still, no one seemed all that concerned.

Emergency Over

Ten minutes or so later the siren stopped and people were allowed back into the shopping centre. Maybe it’d been a false alarm or maybe they’d been able to contain and extinguish a small fire. Either way, the emergency was over.

What Just Happened?

I must admit that I’ve been left wondering what the whole episode says about us. There was an alarm sounding so loudly that it couldn’t be ignored. Massive exhaust fans were adding to the effect as they whirred above us. It was more than obvious that something was not right yet most people chose to ignore the warnings and continue doing what they were doing before the warning.

As far as we knew it was a false alarm but what would have happened if we really were in danger? Were we gambling our lives on the possibility of it being a false alarm?

I’m glad that people didn’t panic and go screaming from the area but what kind of warning does it take for us to take notice? Did we have to wait to see flames racing towards us before we took notice of the warnings?

Recognising Warning Signs

I wonder what other warnings we ignore? Health? Relationship? Spiritual?

Are there clear warnings that we’re ignoring until we see the flames? Until it’s too late?



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Salvos helping fire victims

January 4, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
2 Comments

salvation_army.jpgFire can cause such devastation. Last week a huge fire near Toodyay, 85 kilometres north east of Perth, destroyed significant property including 38 houses. Thankfully no human lives were lost.

Initial assessments suggest fallen power lines caused the fire.

Dozens of families have lost everything. In the last couple of days they’ve been allowed back into the fire affected areas to see if anything remains of their homes. For many there is only heartbreak.

Thankfully the Salvos are already helping people in the area. You can help them to help others by donating online. If you’d like to show your support for those affected by the fires, click here.



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Victorian fires continue to destroy lives

February 10, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

Fires are continuing to rage across the Australian state of Victoria. Extreme conditions have made the firefighters’ task even more difficult as they battle to bring the flames under control.

The death toll in the Victorian bushfire crisis is expected to rise above 200 in the next day or so as more bodies are discovered. It is the worst ‘natural’ disaster in Australia’s history. It’s difficult to come to terms with the fact that the fires which are causing untold death and destruction were deliberately lit.

There are still over twenty fires across the area with some towns completely wiped out and others still under threat.

Strathewen, with a population of only 200 people before the bushfires, had lost 30 residents in the last official count.

It’s hard to know what to do in a time like this but it seems to be a very natural thing to want to offer some kind of support to those in need.

At 98.5 Sonshine FM we’re encouraging listeners to do whatever they can to help the survivors of the tragedy.

We’ve placed a number of links on the Sonshine FM website to allow people to make a secure online donation to the organisation of their choice.

There’s also opportunity to post a prayer or a few thoughts for others to read online.



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Chopper Squad

February 2, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
4 Comments

Carson.jpgI could see the columns of smoke stretching into the sky as I cycled home. Every time I changed direction the fire seemed to be in a different place. I tried working out where it was but soon after I got home Pauline told me that it was fairly close.

There was a fire burning strongly, aided by today’s scorching hot weather, just a couple of kilometres away. The fire services were working flat out to bring everything under control and the helicopter water bombers were in full force going backwards and forwards to the scene of the fire. At one point, before I got home, the helicopter went directly above our home as it made its way to a small lake about a kilometre from our house.

Just as we were finishing dinner, the largest of the choppers headed over our house again. We figured it need more water from the lake but it seemed to land at the local park and stay there. I wondered if it may be refueling. We jumped in the car and headed off for a look.

When we got to the park we saw the giant Carson Helicopter and two smaller choppers parked on the grass, getting refueled from tanker trucks. The Carson is a massive Sikorsky S61 Helicopter which can carry around 3700 litres of water each run. The Carson website says,

Carson’s S-61 FIRE KING is the “perfect” firefighting machine capable of rapidly and accurately delivering a thousand gallons of water per drop. That, coupled with the ability to transport personnel and cargo internally at great speeds and range directly to the fire line, makes the FIRE KING the most versatile fire suppression tool available to Firefighting Agencies today.

We wandered around the edge of the park, not wanting to get in the way. Eventually we saw someone wander across to the Carson. They were invited to jump on board for a look around. We headed straight for the helicopter and were also invited for a tour. The children received a sticker and a pin as souvenirs.

After checking out all three aircraft we sat about 25 metres away from the carson, waiting for the pilots to get the order to head off.

Eventually the order came and we watched the choppers take to the sky. It was an amazing thrill to be on the grass so close to the big helicopter as it lifted off. The wind coming from the blades of the chopper were as strong as the engine was loud. It was awesome.

All three took off and headed away. We started walking back to the car watching the three helicopters become specks ni the sky before disappearing completely. What a great way to end the day.



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