Vocab -Jenny Halopka Chapters 3-4

Pleistocene epoch (pg 39) - from two million to 11 thousand years ago; extensive glaciation of the northern hemisphere; the time of human evolution

Amorphous (pg 43) - having no definite form or distinct shape

Ubiquitous (pg 46) - The state of being everywhere at any given time

Crepitus (pg 47) - grating, crackling or popping sounds and sensations experienced under the skin and joints

Bifurcate (pg 59) - split or divide into two

Garish (pg 59) - tastelessly showy

Voraciously (pg 60) - in an eagerly manner

Maven (pg 60) - someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field

Gumption (pg 65) - common sense: sound practical judgment

Imminent (pg 66) - close in time; about to occur

Brayden-Discussion Leader 3-4



1.)Why do you think he tells the story of how New Auburn got its name?  To show how ironic the name is because in Oliver Goldsmiths poem he called it the loveliest village on the plain.  He also used it to tie the present to the past.

2.) Why does he spend two pages on nemonic devices?  To give an inside look at what EMTs really do.  Also to show how vague and basic they are which gives you a sense that the EMT course is a requirement that is suppose to really just build confidence.  What he is getting at with this is that good EMTs use nemonic devices to calm them down and stay on track while improvising and problem solving.

3.)  Why does he put the story about Tricky Jackson in there?  For a little comic relief in between the horrible accidents and the boring facts.  It show a different side of an EMTs job sometimes they have to deal with some characters while trying to save lives.  They not only have to save lives but they also have to control crowds.

4.) Why did he talk about lawn ornaments?  He does this to create some commonality between small midwestern towns.  It is spot on too,  where i grew up I'd see the little plywood packer player on a swing quite a bit.  He does it to identify with his audience as well as describe his town a little more.

Rob - Summarizer chapters 3 & 4

Chapter three is all about the town of New Auburn.  The author starts the chapter by telling the readers how New Auburn draws its name from and eighteenth-century elegiac pastorale.  He goes on to say that if you visit New Auburn the pastorale probably won't be the first thing that comes to mind.  The name originated from the Oliver Goldsmith poem "The Deserted Village", proclaiming "Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain."  It is kind of humorous that after stating this quote the author writes that the name New Auburn was actually the fourth choice for the town's name.  The rest of the chapter talks about how the town was settled, and how its citizens settled on the name New Auburn.  There is also a side story about the town and the night that Tricky Jackson buried his car into the laundromat.  As has become the author's style, he drifts from one topic to the next.  From how he became an EMT, then to the lawn decorations of New Auburn, and finally as he always does, the author comes around full circle back to where he started, with the naming of the town.

Chapter four takes the reader back to the start of the author's career as an EMT and his first job at Silver Star Ambulance Service.  the author describes each crew member with detail and says, "I would trust the Silver Star crew with my life, but not my sister." Chapter four is the first chapter that doesn't seem to jump to different topics aimlessly.  all of the different topics seem to correspond to one another. The author talks about the different adventures and calls he had with each man and instead of shifting abruptly to another subject, he smoothly slides into a subsequent topic. The author shifts topics to describe the protocol for assessing a victim, and how mnemonics are used such as; ABC for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.  And as always, the author comes back to his first topic in the last paragraph of the chapter, writing about the Silver Star crew.

The author writes these chapters with a mixture of styles.  He is very informative when talking about the town and the history of its name.  Likewise when he writes about the mnemonic phrases the author pounds you with facts again.  However, when writing about his experiences in the field the author gives you facts in the story, but you are given the chance to create your own picture of what he is going through.  Both styles are informative in their own right.  However, makes you feel like the author could be sitting right next to you at a local bar or restaurant telling you the story, and the other makes you feel like you are reading a textbook.

Population 485: November 19, 2010

As we read this book we all, for the most part, had similar responses and reactions to it. Something that surprised our whole group was how much firefighters have to do. We had all assumed that firefighters just put out fires and then, once it was out, they were done. We were very wrong. Not only do they have to fight fires, but they also have to respond to other 911 calls. They have to perform medical work on the victim, control the scene, figure out what really happened, clean equipment and leftover debris, and then attend to all the paperwork that follows such a call. All firefighters have to be very knowledgeable in many different areas and they have to know them well. Our group definitly appreciates firefighters more. We didn’t realize just how much they do for the community beyond fighting fires.

Another thing that caught our attention that we didn't realize is that this book is not focused on firefighters. Although it seems to be arranged around his experiencies as a firefighter, the main point of the book is that this takes places in a small town and it describes the different people and places that make it special to the author and the things that really matter in life. In a small town you can see past the superficial things in life and see the true meaning of life.

Michael Perry uses flashback scenes to convey his ideas to the readers. Although many writers use this technique, Perry puts a spin on it. Each chapter starts out usually with a scene from some sort of accident. Then, throughout the chapter he goes into detail of relatable things but yet don't have a strong connection and then somehow manages to twist it around by the end of the chapter to be talking about the original story from the beginning of the chapter. Our group finds this interesting cause we found that we are always wondering how he could possibly twist a topic to make it relatable and somehow he always does. We also think that, just like he makes each chapter a loop, Perry will make the entire book a loop. So, the first chapter about Jabowski's Corner, we predict, will come up at the end of the last chapter to end the book.

Perry also wrote this book with a sense to detail in mind. He provides the overview of the history of the town and an overview of the people and places, but certain topics that seem irrelevant to the reader he makes seem very important. By doing this the reader can see what means the most to Perry, hence why he spends so much time on seemingly unimportant topics. An example of this is how much he talks about the Silver Star Ambulance. To readers its just another job he has worked, but to Perry its a special time in his life that he will remember forever because of the people he grew to love. With how he writes, readers can feel this emotion coming from.  His writing is so real, that is makes the reader feel like they are a part of the scene/story.

Stephanie Graphic Organizer

  The significance of this illustration is to provide a visual example of the two main points that Michael Perry was trying to make in chapters three and four of his book, Population: 485.  In chapter three, Perry dedicates a large portion of the chapter towards explaining the history of how the town of New Auburn acquired its’ name.  The second major point Perry was trying to make was focused on a call that showed how rescue personal have to deal with chaotic scenes.  Chapter four also included some history on the town of New Auburn, this time it was about the history of the Silver Star Ambulance service.  The other main point Perry makes in this chapter is how big of a part puke plays in a rescue personals life.  These two chapters provide the reader with history of New Auburn, and problems rescue personal have to deal with on a day to day basis. 

Megan-Article Finder Chapters 3 and 4

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) have been a big part of the first four chapters, especially the fourth chapter.  The article, NH seeks more funding for weekend EMTs by Dan O’Brien, talks about a community that is in need of EMTs. Overall, this town of Weare, New Hampshire is very similar to New Auburn. The fire department in Weare is volunteer, so one out of five medical calls has to be handled by neighboring fire departments. They are in need of hired EMTs because it is not uncommon according to fire officials for, “waiting more than 30 minutes for help”(para 3). Soon surrounding towns will charge Weare “$1,000 per ambulance call unless emergency services in town are enhanced”(para 6). The article then continues on explaining what types of warrants and grants that could possibly cover this cost. As of the end of the article, all that the fire department of Weare was trying to do was get information on this topic out to the public.

To read the actual article, click here.