HomeMy WebLinkAboutKatsuhide "Kats" Takashima #289, letter for 2nd Assistant Director Position 3/11/2004March 11, 2004
To: Members of Cayuga Heights Fire CWany
From: Katsuhide "Kats" Takashima #289 r.' i
I would like to take this opportunity to express my interest for running a 273 (2nd assistant
rescue director) position at the Cayuga Heights Fire Department.
I have been an EMT -D (Basic) since August 2003, and a Company member from last
September. Although my tenure with the Company and my experience as an EMS
provider are not that long, I have been very active to respond to both fire and rescue calls.
I believe I have gained (and still gaining) valuable experience over time.
Also, I have served as a member of CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) committee
of the department's rescue squad for the past few months. I have reviewed PCR with two
other committee members. I really enjoy doing this.
Also, I have been very active to participate in in -house trainings (regularly scheduled fire
and EMS trainings as well as new recruit classes) and company's "social" events (open
house, school demos, Halloween candy distribution, cooking, and such).
Currently I am a graduate student at Cornell, pursuing PhD in Economics. I have been a
head TAITA (Teaching Assistant) Trainer for the Dept of Economics for the last 3 years.
One of my duties is to train new TAs so that they will be ready to stand up in front of the
class to teach students economics, in terms of their teaching skills and their
mentalfemotional readiness. Also, I work very closely with professors who are in charge
of appointing new TAs and ensuring high standards from our working TAs. Hence, I am
indeed "an assistant' ' to those professors although I have my own duties and
responsibilities (job assignments for econ TAs, etc) and I make sure that the daily
operations are going smoothly. Also, I handle administrative work (paperwork, etc) on
daily basis.
I believe my background will serve me well enough as a 2 "d assistant rescue director. We
all know who might hold 271 and 272 positions. Whoever are 271 and 272, I believe I am
capable of working in tandem with them.
During my undergraduate years, I was a premed/medical technology double majors for
the first two years of my college (and later changed majors), and I also worked as a lab
technician/phlebotomist at a local hospital. As a phlebotomist, I went to each room in the
hospital and collected blood specimens from patients. Although this is a long time ago, I
had some experience in patient contact and patient care in the hospital setting.
After I graduated from college (BA with high distinction in economics), I was working
for the trading company, which primarily dealt with pharmaceutical companies all over
the world. My company was in business of assisting early stage of new drug development,
where pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, and food companies were importing and/or
exporting ingredients for the new drug research. We also assisted those companies to
find suitable partners (and we dealt with technical and legal issues) when they were
looking for research or sales collaborations with other companies. This is not patient care
that EMT provides, but I dealt with a lot of paperwork and I handled business issues and
procedures of new drug developments in pharmaceutical industry, which I was not so
familiar with at that time.
If I am elected as 273, I will pursue my duties and responsibilities as best as I can. I will
work very closely with 271 and 272. At the same time, I try my best to show a little bit of
leadership when applicable, and hopefully I will be able to provide positive influence by
setting good examples to other members. Even if I am not elected as 273, I still remain
very active in both fire and rescue operations (and everything else) of the Department and
the Company. I am also willing to do whatever I can do to help out other members
(senior members, new members, and members from my recruit class) and the
Department/Company in general.
Thank you for your consideration.
K,atsakass ma #289 / f 2 11
Firefighter and EMT -D
Cayuga Heights Fire Company No.I
Probationary member since September 10, 2003
Last Physical at Family Practice Association of Dryden: September 12, 2003
Attended all 4 CHFD recruit classes: Class of Fall 2003
Exterior FF since January 20, 2004
Number of calls I have attended:
Oct 2003: 2 calls attended out of 43 total calls (First call attended on Oct 25)
Nov 2003: 12 calls attended out of 39 total calls
Dec 2003: 27 calls attended out of 38 total calls
Jan 2004: 25 calls attended out of 32 total calls
Feb 2004: 26 calls attended out of 36 total calls
NY State Fire Courses Completed:
Basic Firefighter (November 2003: 42 hours)
Accident Victim Extrication Training (AVET) (November 2003: 16 hours)
Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations (December 2003: 15 hours)
Principles of Building Construction: Combustible (December 2003: 12 hours)
Firefighter Survival (February 2004: 9 hours)
Firefighter Assist and Search Team (FAST) (February 2004: 16 hours)
Incident Safety Officer (February 2004: 14 hours)
NY State Certification:
Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations (in process)
NY State Fire Courses I am currently taking:
Apparatus Operator Emergency Vehicle Operation (EVOC) (March 2004: 15 hours)
Confined Space: Awareness and Safety (March 2004: 6 hours)
Intermediate firefighter (starting on March 15: 36 hourg)