Xbox
Xbox 360
Playstation 1
Playstation 2
Playstation 3
Gamecube
Nintendo 64
Wii

Mine are:
Xbox – Ninja Gaiden Black
Xbox 360 – Gears of War
Playstation 1 – Final Fantasy 7 (VII)
Playstation 2 – Final Fantasy 12 (XII)
Playstation 3 – None
Gamecube – Resident Evil 4
Nintendo 64 – Super Mario 64
Wii – None

Then the Daisy Manufacturing Company of ‘BB Gun’ fame came up with the first Paint Ball Gun. The first Paint Ball gun was invented (1970) and patented by a Daisy Employee, James Hale (U.S. patent 3,788, 298 issued on January 29, 1974.) with the original intent of use by the Forest Service and ranchers marking trees for harvest and cattle for selection. The first gun actually designed for playing Paintball was the Splatmaster invented by Robert G Shepherd. This U.S. patent number 4,531,503 was issued to Shepherd on July 30, 1985.

The Forestry version (Nel-spot 007 pistols) was used in a game of ‘Capture the Flag’ in 1981, boys will be boys. By 1982 some of the entrepreneurial players from that ‘Capture the Flag’ game, started National Survival Games (NSG) and opening paint ball fields. Charles Gaines, founded NSG. PMI (Pursuit Marketing Inc.) was founded for the distribution and marketing of Paint Ball products and paint ball gear sites. Caleb Strong opened the first outdoor paintball gear site in 1982 in upstate New York. Being in upstate New York, Caleb also opened the first indoor paintball gear site in Buffalo in 1984.
The early marketing of the new sport included articles written by quite a few of those early players and published in Sports Illustrated and other sports genre.

Once established it was only natural to set up a Championship Contest. This was done in 1983 at a paint ball gear site with a purse of $14,000 cash. The sport also went international in 1983 with the opening of an outdoor paintball gear site in Toronto.
More International Venues were added beginning with Australia in 1984, France and Denmark in 1991 with the rest of Europe soon to follow. An indoor paintball gear site was erected in England by 1985.

I’m sure quite a few Wives, Mothers and anyone who does their own laundry are grateful to George A. Skogg who in 1987 patented a “washable marking fluid formulation for soft gelatin capsules” – a Paintball bullet recipe (U.S. patent 4,634,606 granted January 6, 1987.) The fluid when packaged in a soft gelatin capsule produced projectiles that were more accurate and stable and made bright, highly visible marks that could be easily washed out with water and/or detergent and were ideally suitable for use in the sports and games exercises. Skogg worked for the Nelson Paint Company and this patent became the Nelson recipe for Paintballs.

LET’S GET ORGANIZED
In 1988 The IPPA (International Paintball Players Association) was founded. This is a non-profit association dedicated to the education, growth and safety of the sport of paintball. During the period 1992-1993 NPPL (National Professional Paintball League ) was founded and the NPPL Pro-Am Series began with paint ball gear site tournaments set up in Reno, New York, Boston, and other cities around the U.S..

It was inevitable that television would become involved. How could it ‘NOT’ be included. In 1993 ESPN aired it’s filming of the NPPL ‘DC Cup’ from Bowie, Maryland, organized by the PCRI (Paintball Ratings and Competitions International). As interest expanded in 1996 ESPN aired the ESPN World Championships of Paintball from Orlando, Florida.
And of course the Internet would become a venue. In 1994 Warpig introduced the first internet paintball gear site.

The game has exploded into a multimillion-dollar sport with amateur and professional tournaments across the United States and Europe. Paintball Gear Sites are opening every day now, all over the world. Cash purses and prizes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars are involved. Daisy (manufacturer of pellets, B.B.s and air guns), Crossman (manufacturer of airguns), Scott USA (manufacturer of ski poles and goggles) and JT USA (manufacturer of motocross safety equipment) are just a few of the companies that have expanded into paintball paraphernalia and equipment. Sponsors of modern tournaments include companies such as Budweiser and Pepsi-Cola and who know’s what’s next. (Toy’s r Us, Ruger).

Copyright © 2006 C. R. Ellsworth

Choosing the best safety training videos can be difficult, though. It is important that the videos you use for training purposes present accurate information on the most current best practices in your field. One way to be certain that the training videos you choose are part of a comprehensive library that is approved for purchase using Homeland Security grants from the federal government. Other things to look for in choosing top safety training videos for fire rescue teams include:

the experience and credentials of the technical team that consulted on production

whether the subject matter meets technical standards and best practices

how the training video fits into your current curriculum and needs

the knowledge level of the audience for which the film is intended

In addition to basic safety training, there are specific areas that must be covered by fire rescue units that want to qualify for federal funding and grants, or for special certifications as first responder, terrorist response and rapid response teams. These top fire rescue safety training videos are all good choices for specialized training in the areas named.

Rapid Response and Intervention

Rapid Intervention Teams, developed by a technical team that includes the president of HazTech Systems and rescue team members with decades of experience, is designed to introduce the concept and techniques used by Rapid Intervention Teams. RIT are trained for immediate deployment to assist in the rescue and recovery of first responders and rescue workers who are trapped, injured or go missing during emergency response situations. The film covers:

overview of responsibilities and circumstances under which RIT is called in

skills needed by RIT members

command structure and response to emergencies

specialized equipment used by RITs

communication systems and their use

specialized rescue and extraction technique

The film included a Leader’s Guide to help plan lessons and ensure that you team gets the most use out of the film.

HazMat WMD Self Protection for Firefighters

Fire is not the only hazard faced by firefighters. Often, they are placed in situations where they are exposed to hazardous materials ranging from asbestos to PCBs to radiation and biochemical weapons. Understanding the need for protective clothing and safety techniques is vital to fire rescue workers – at least as vital as being taught the methods themselves. This film goes beyond teaching the bare basics of what to do and wear and explains the WHY, boosting team compliance with safety measures across the board. The subjects covered include:

why protective equipment is necessary

an introduction to respiratory protective gear

EPA levels of protection for protective equipment

Chemical protective clothing

Donning and removing protective equipment – when and how

Inspection, storage and maintenance of protective equipment

Medical considerations and avoiding heat stress when wearing protective gear

Mass Decon

Terrorism and response to terrorist attacks is a subject much on the minds of any fire rescue workers these days. The Homeland Security office has made funds available to emergency rescue workers and fire rescue workers to help train them in recognizing and responding to terrorist threats and attacks. In the event that a terrorist attack includes chemical, radiation or biohazard poisoning, mass decontamination may be required. Understanding the principles of decontamination is a vital part of training for any fire rescue team that may be called in to carry out operations in the event of a terrorist attack.

The lessons learned from these training videos have far wider application than fighting terrorism. In the summer of 2007, for instance, rescue crews from half a dozen Massachusetts towns were called to the little town of Spencer, where an industrial accident at the water treatment plant had dumped extremely high levels of chlorine into the town’s water supply. Teams trained in mass decontamination controlled the situation, provided clean water and decontamination services for the community.

The training video Mass Decon provides a thorough grounding in the basics of decontamination after a terrorist attack or other community hazard. The film covers:

Identifying the contaminating agents

Setting up the decontamination area

Preparing decontamination solutions

Rescue vehicle configuration in various formations

Dealing with sensitive issues of modesty and privacy

Managing victims who are non-ambulatory

Decon in cold weather and dealing with hypothermia

Monitoring air quality and radiation

Preventing cross contamination in medical and rescue facilities