Proper Training

Firefighting is a skill that not everyone can partake in. It takes time, perseverance, sweat, blood, and tears to earn the title of a firefighter. It also takes courage, strength, and a mindset that when the tones drop, it could be your last day on Earth. A successful day is when everyone comes home safe. Obviously, though, firefighting is a very dangerous activity, and when your are not prepared right, tremendous catastrophes can result. Training is a key role in any career, especially one that can kill you. One training session can be the difference between life and death in a structure fire. If you don't know the difference between an attic ladder and an extension ladder, when a fellow firefighter is trapped on the roof, you will bring the wrong ladder. By the time you go to get the right ladder, the roof collapses, and just like that. . . he is gone. A small error, which could be prevented with the proper training, just ended your brothers life. That may sound gruesome, but that’s life. It is small errors that turn into catastrophic tragedies. There is a saying that we have hanging in the firehall; “When the going gets tough, and mistakes are made. . .it is those times you realize you should have trained harder.” Such a simple statement, yet it has such a big meaning. I will be the first to say that we don't train near as much as we should. When we do train, though, it is very intense, very focused, and very long. We train for many situations, but there is some things that just can't be trained for. For example, we have did senario search and rescue, mayday (firefighter down, in need of help), tight spaces, roof collapse,etc. When we train, though, there is no true danger, the building is not actually on fire, and to be completely honest, the whole aspect of training is different. We train with passageways being clear and sturdy floors. In reality, most of the time doors and hallways are blocked or on fire, and the floor is burnt, so the slightest pressure on it can collapse it. Those are not situations that can be simulated.It would be idiotic to put us in danger and harms way, when there is no threat to another persons life. But you better believe, the second someone else's life gets put in danger, we will go through hell and back to save them. The first one in and the last one out. That's when all the training pays off.