Question for those who know about fireman

[HotSprings22]

Im going to start another story, and I wanted this one to involve a rookie fireman, but I cant find anything on the internet that says exactly how a person becomes a fireman or what they have to go through (training exercises etc.)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Hotsprings

 

[The_Fool]

Below is a link to a local community college that offers training in Fire Science.

http://wwwcms.hutchcc.edu/www/programs/firescience.aspx

 

[SeaCat]

Can't is another good one to ask, although like me it's been a year or so since he was a rookie.

Cat

 

[cloudy]

PM cantdog. He used to be a fireman.

 

[cantdog]

It was too long ago. I applied for the job at an annual civil service exam the city gives, or at least gave then. I took the tests. I take tests well, it's a knack. So they gave me an interview in the cop shop and the firehouse, whichever I liked. The interview went well, and the job paid much better than teaching.

A rookie, then, was just a new firefighter. There existed, actually, a fire academy, but it was not intimately important to the job. One's training was never actually finished; we trained constantly the entire twenty years I was there. Only a rare individual had even an aspiration to attend anything like an academy, during my first few years, although that changed through the course of my career. By the time I retired, one was more or less expected to peck away at fire science courses with a view to the Associate degree. By the time I left, such a degree was officially a positive factor in hiring on, or in attempting to be promoted. A similar evolution occurred on the police force, which now sends new hires to their Academy before they actually commence work on the force. I believe the fire department has a structure like that in place now, as well. I was never a part of it.

I recommend Dennis Smith's excellent book, Report from Engine Co. 51, for a feel for how firefighters develop from rookies.

 

[SeaCat]

When I started oh so many years ago the department was pure volunteer. You went in and talked with the chief and the Captain. They decided if they wanted you on the department.

Once accepted you started going to drills. You were teamed up with an old hand. This was your training. After showing up and participating in several drills your hand talked with the Captain. He told him what his thoughts were about your ability and your drive. If they agreed that you were what they wanted they gave you some old gear to work in. You got to roll on calls. You were on Probation. You stretched Hoses and worked Hydrants. You rolled hoses and helped with the clean up but you didn't go in the building. You were a gofer.

After a while of doing the drills and rolling on calls they again talked over your case. If they still liked you they gave you a new set of gear and you started going into buildings. You started actually fighting fires and helping people. You did this for a year then the entire department voted on if they wanted you working with them.

I was accepted. Six months after becoming a full fledged member of the department I attended the Boston Fire Academy. I paid for this torture out of my own pocket. When I finished this I went back to school and got my E.M.T.

I did this for many years until my department caved in to the politics and went "Proffesional."

Cat

 

[amicus]

Im going to start another story, and I wanted this one to involve a rookie fireman, but I cant find anything on the internet that says exactly how a person becomes a fireman or what they have to go through (training exercises etc.)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Hotsprings

~~~

Welcome to the forum, HotSprings...not sure my personal anecdotes will be useful, but I was a 'rookie' forest fire fighter and a 'rookie' volunteer fireman at one point.

'rookie beware' is what I might title this... getting a call late one night as a volunteer fireman, I suited up and drove to a site on a highway where a gasoline tanker had overturned. I was promptly handed a firehose and directed to wet down the overturned tanker while the rest of the crew stood back a distance.

After a while another rookie was sent to join me, we continued to wet down the vehicle and finally questioned each other, "Why are we this close when the rest of the experienced guys are way back there?"

Rookies are expendable, is probably one thing that might be pertinent.

The forest fire crew was a bit different as we were all, except the fire boss, high school age teenagers on a summer job. A twenty man crew with shovels, hoes, pulaski's and axes, I was assigned lead axe on a crew of ten. You spend most of your time practicing clearing fire trails and learning how to keep your equipment sharp and in good shape. The actual fire-fighting, is hot, smoky and panic city as fire is all around you and you are working your ass off to build a fire line.

Again, as a 'rookie', you are just a link in the chain, a cog in the wheel, useful perhaps, expendable for sure.

amicus...

 

[HotSprings22]

Thanks

Thanks for the imput, and if you have any more, its still appreciated.