Q: In the U.S., each county runs its own fire department, and not every department has a dedicated website. Run a web search to find email contacts and station addresses or visit the National Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment Center at [ http://www.nvfrc.com ] .Call, write an email, or go down to the nearest fire station. Say that you're interested in becoming a volunteer firefighter.  If you call, make sure to use the non-emergency number! This should be listed on the department website. The emergency line is reserved for fires, and the people at the station won't appreciate a non-urgent call.  If you are in the U.S., you can go through your state firefighters' association. Visit the website and look for information about firefighting in your area. Not all stations take volunteers. Even if your local station does take volunteers, it might already have plenty of help. Ask about non-firefighting roles like communications, support, and fundraising. If there are no current openings, ask if there is any sort of waiting list. The department may need more help at some point. The qualifications for volunteer firefighting vary widely from department to department. However, all fire stations do enforce a minimum age requirement. Most fire departments require that you have a valid driver's license and can legally work in the U.S. Make sure that you live within the service area of the fire department so that you can respond to local emergencies!  Most departments require that you are at least 14 years old. Some only accept volunteers older than 18.  Some departments only accept volunteers with a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. You will need to fill out an application form, and you may need to undergo a background check. Check the requirements! The screening process and the qualifications are slightly different for every fire department. Wait for the station administration to review your application. If they want your help, they will contact you. If the department accepts your application, you'll usually be asked to come into the station and meet the firefighting team. There may be an interview, and you may even sit in on a training session. If the fire squad approves you for volunteering, then you will need to get a physical examination before you start your training. Be respectful and engaged. Focus on your goal.
A: Contact your local fire department. Ask if they need volunteers. Meet the requirements. Apply. Take the next steps.

Article: The figure eight knot has a firm, non-slip loop at the end. It is one of the strongest knots there is and ideal for mooring boats. Measure 24 inches (61 cm) from the end of the rope, then wrap the rope into a loop. The tail needs to cross in front of the rest of the rope. Hold the loop in your non-dominant hand. Use your other hand to wrap the tail end of the rope behind the rest of the rope, just under the loop. Pull the tail end upwards and push it through the loop. Pull upwards on the tail end and downwards on the rest of the rope to tighten the knot. If you have enough rope leftover, you can use it to retrace your knot. Simply weave the tail around the knot, following the rope that's already there. This will make the knot larger. If you want to, you can leave a loop at the bottom to hook onto things.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use a figure eight knot if you need something strong. Make a loop near the end of the rope. Wrap the tail end behind the rest of the rope. Feed the tail end through the loop, then tighten. Use the end of the rope to retrace the knot, if desired.

Problem: Article: Start by washing the skin tear and the surrounding skin with warm water. Use your hand to gently wash the area. Do not rub or scrub the area, as this can cause more damage to the skin.  Avoid using a towel or cloth to wash the area, as this can irritate the skin tear further. Your hand and running water should work just fine. Make sure you clean the skin tear before you apply a new dressing or bandage to it. This will ensure no bacteria is present in the skin tear before you bandage it. You can also apply a saline wound cleanser to the skin tear. The wound cleanser will contain water and antibacterial ingredients to help clean the area. When you apply the wound cleanser, do not rub or scrub the area. This way take 10 to 20 minutes. You can also use a soft towel to pat the area dry, being careful not to rub or scrub the area.
Summary: Wash the skin tear with warm water. Use a saline wound cleanser. Allow the skin tear to air dry.

Q: It helps to have a hard copy and a red pen, but this is not necessary. A misspelled word can change the entire meaning of the entire sentence. Don't rely on your spellchecker. If you aren't certain about a word look it up in the dictionary. Commonly misspelled words are: misspelled, received, believe, a lot, their, occurred, definitely. Without proper grammar, the written piece can become confusing. Jumping between tenses and points-of-view is difficult for a reader to follow.  Consistently remain in one point-of-view. These are first-person (I/me), second-person (you), and third-person (he/she/they). Make sure your tenses match. Example: They were playing outside and are hungry. "Are" should be "were." Look closely at passive sentences. Passive sentences are sentences where the subject is receiving the action, rather than performing the action. A passive voice example: "The ball was kicked by him." vs. the active: "He kicked the ball." Not all passive voice sentences are wrong, but they should be used with care. Are you using commas, semicolons, periods correctly? Link Commas, in particular, are used incorrectly and people often avoid using semicolons altogether.  One common punctuation error is the comma splice. Example: "The hike is hard, so bring some water." The comma is unnecessary. Do not use commas for periods. Example: "The water is very blue, the ship is big." The Oxford Comma: this is an optional comma, but it often serves to make the listing of items in a sentence clearer. A well-known example: "We invited the strippers, JFK, and Stalin." The comma comes after "JFK." Without it that sentence reads: "We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin." The lack of comma turns JFK and Stalin into the strippers. Periods and commas always go inside quotations marks in the U.S. Example: "There are many birds here," said Bill. For the U.K. and Canada, the rules are different. Ask yourself if the sentence makes sense independent of the surrounding sentences. Each sentence must act as a complete thought.  Avoid sentence fragments: "The English Language is complicated. As it is a conglomeration of Latin, early French, and early German." This should be one sentence. Starting a sentence with "because" is only acceptable in a few instances. Example: "Because the sentence was so difficult he could not complete it." Alternate with long and short sentences. This will break the monotony of too many similar-sounding sentences. Language should be lyrical and interesting, even in an essay.  Long sentences tend to provide more information. They may have several clauses with various kinds of punctuation. Short sentences are more likely used to make a point. These words are not intrinsically bad, but need to be used with care. A few examples are:  all a lot like as if due to the fact Most adverbs like: slowly, really, very, suddenly, lovely, friendly. There are differences between writing an essay, an article, and a novel. If you are writing an essay tone, especially, can dock you points.  For an essay, avoid first person and phrases like "I think." It is best to remain in third person. An article or story can be more lax depending on its type, and may use any of the three perspectives. Unless specified by the teacher, and essay should not be informal. A second pair of eyes is always better. Make sure that this person knows their stuff and will be honest about it.
A:
Read over your written piece. Check your spelling. Check your grammar. Check your punctuation. Read each sentence separately. Vary sentence structure. Rewrite sentences that include overused words. Maintain an appropriate tone. Ask a trusted friend or advisor to read over your work.