Firefighting

Monte Stonewall presents How Dalmatians Became Fire Department Dogs and  Different Jobs in a Fire Department posted at Fire Science Colleges.

Emergency Management

It’s a shame because firefighting and EMS are taxing jobs which require that you not only be at the top of your game physically, but mentally too. While there’s nothing wrong with a cup o’ joe, it’s not going to provide you the calories and nutrients you need to get you through the day.

Below is a list of foods and their corresponding ANDI scores. ANDI scores are based on the nutritional density of foods. Nutritional density can be a tricky thing because a foods score is heavily influenced by it’s calorie count. For example, we know that almonds are one of the healthier nuts out there, and that they’re loaded with healthy fats and protein. Nonetheless, those same benefits make them a very calorie rich snack. On the other hand, strawberries which have no fat or protein, are very high in vitamins (especially Vitamin C) and have far fewer calories per serving.

This is not a bad thing, but is something you should be aware of when looking through the list of ANDI scored foods below. I feel it is also worth noting that while it’s most important to have a well balanced and varied diet, leaning toward the higher scoring foods is in general a good thing.

** The below table was taken as is from Eat Right America and is the intellectual property of ANDI creator Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

Back at the station, where the beginning of my “first” was just getting started, we had finished dinner and was finally taking a load off after a day of pack tests, station cleaning, equipment maintenance and other typical station duties. The radio started blaring and station after station was getting called to a fire on Cordelia Road. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t been called to it! Cordelia is not a big city and we’re one of the CFD’s two stations.

Finally, just when I was starting to wonder if we’d be a part of it, we became a part of it.  I’m still fairly new to the Cordelia FD, but I’m not the official “new guy” now that Jimmy Alvarez came on board three weeks ago.  He and I were pretty excited as it was both of our first fires.  We were led by company officer, Engineer Billy Untalan and more experienced firefighter, Anthony Capella.

What amazed me the most was that as Alvarez and I stood there with our Polaski and McCloud, expecting to begin digging and shoveling every hotspot we saw, Engineer Untalan turned to us as we stood at the edge of a burning and smoking creek looking down at the flaming grass and litter, and told us to take the nozzle. I was thrilled, and took it before Jimmy got a chance.

There weren’t any gigantic, blazing, out of control fires to put out, but there were a good number of smaller ones and plenty of glowing embers everywhere.  Some of the trees even had branches of burning leaves and these were of course a lot of fun to shoot down.  I sprayed water at everything I could adjusting my nozzle at times for better reach or for a wider, wetter spray for soaking closer fires.

The interesting thing was the obvious odor of man-made items burning.  The ravine that this fire happened in was two things among other: 1) A home to the homeless as there were a number of chairs, tents and sleeping bags set up in particular area, and 2) an unofficial junkyard.   The local homeless who inhabited this brushland, probably had no hesitation about using it as a trashcan as well as sleeping quarters.   Also, I imagine that even members of the general public used this conveniently inconspicuous area as an easy way to throw out large unneeded items.  It was night so it was hard to see exactly what was down there, but there seemed to be plenty of old bottles, a bicycle, some old crates, plywood and possibly some old carpet.  One of the lessons I learned on this fire, was ALWAYS have a working flashlight on hand, and preferably attached to your helmet or turnouts.

Inhaling the smoke from this burning litter was horrible.  It smells like poison.  All I could think of was my Capt. McCumber who taught my Fire 101 class and how he frequently told us that most firefighters die within a few years of retirement from cancers usually brought on by the gases of burning chemicals.  Suddenly his words were so true.  I tried to not breath it in, but when you’re working hard and the smoke is everywhere, there’s just no escaping it.

If you’re wondering why I wasn’t wearing breathing apparatus, it’s because you don’t wear your SCBA on wildland fires.

Getting back to the story, I was spraying everything glowing or burning that I could see when suddenly there was an explosion just down the slope where I was standing. It was bright, white and violent, and I knew immediately that it was probably magnesium or a similar flammable metal. I wasn’t sure if there was a specific protocol to be followed, like using a class D extinguishing agent, so I focused the stream on other hot spots while Alvarez notified Engineer Untulan.

Billy came over, took the nozzle shot a bit of water on it, and sure enough it popped with white light.  He then surprised me by completely dousing it, obviously causing some serious chemical reactions, and eventually leading to a brilliant explosion of white light.  After that, it fizzled out pretty quickly.  It is worth noting that there was nobody else around and the metal itself (I still don’t know exactly what it was) was a pretty safe distance down this slope and ahead of us.

At this point Jimmy took over the nozzle and I began….

The quick answer is that I’ve been busy doing all sorts of things, most of them fire related in one way or another. I’ll get into the details later, but this quick post is to talk about the future of this blog and my intentions. I intend to be a better blogger, and here is what that means: I will post much more regularly, though they will not alway be the long, heavily detailed posts I’ve written in the past. Those are the reason I fell off the radar recently.

My posts going forward will be more like this; fast, to-the-point quips on what’s happening and what I’ve been doing to keep my journey on path. I also intend on changing the homepage of the site to reflect my new approach, but that’s coming soon.

It’s also worth noting that a reader I’ve corresponded with just got accepted into the fire academy and will begin his own attempt at writing about his experiences and efforts to get into firefighting. Watch for Bruce’s Journey in the next few days and beyond.

Before I conclude, I should tell you that I have completed my own fire academy at this point and am now working as a resident firefighter with the Cordelia Fire Protection District in Fairfield, CA. This is a volunteer position, but it is a major stepping stone and accomplishment for me. I am a firefighter.

Plenty more on that soon, but for now I’ve got to run. Stay tuned….

There aren’t too many careers out there that are quite as hard to break into as firefighting, and so I pose the question: How bad do you want it, and is it worth it? Let’s consider…

The statement about 5 years being the average time to get hired doesn’t apply to everybody – it applies to those who get hired at all. Many never do! Of course, some lucky folks will get jobs in their first year. Others get hired right out of the academy. …and some people win the lottery. In the year and a half that I’ve been on the fire-career road, I’ve spoken to many, many firefighters of varying ranks and the one consistent thing they all tell me is “If you really want it, don’t give up – you’ll get there.” They follow this advice with a story of someone just like me who got hired after years and years of trying.

I have no doubt that every story I’ve heard is true, and that each one was referring to a completely different person, but (and I confess, I am a born skeptic) what decent firefighter or captain or chief is going to tell an aspiring hopeful a story of failure. Nobody is going to tell you to quit while you’re ahead, because the odds are against you and for each person who makes it, there are ten others who did not.

With that said, don’t let me dissuade you. There’s plenty you can do to increase your odds of being that one guy. Let’s start with the ones I’ve done and continue with additional options:

I have…..

• Earned my bachelors degree (prior to becoming interested in fire)
• 10+ years of post college experience (throw me a bone and let’s call this maturity)
• Earned my EMT license and worked as an EMT (I just left)
• Went back to school and got an Associates degree in Fire Technology
• Graduated from a state accredited Fire Academy
• Am on the verge of beginning as a resident firefighter with a local fire dept.
• Volunteer – I currently give my time at a local hospital, a small business academy, and will start, as mentioned above with a local fire dept. soon.

I have yet to….

• Consider jobs outside my own state
• Earn my paramedic license
• Work as a paramedic
• Work for the Dept. of Forestry (here in California it’s CalFire)
• Work for a fire department in a non-firefighter role (get your foot in the door)
• **Military experience is usually a big plus, but don’t join for the purpose of putting this on your resume.

* I’m sure there are items I’ve missed or forgotten. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please email me and I’ll add them to the list.

You are different than every other person out there trying to become a firefighter. It is my belief that for some it is, and for others it may not be, worth pursuing firefighting. Major factors you need to consider include:

Your Age – Youth will allow you the time to get things like school, your paramedic training and experience as a volunteer in. If you’re older these things may not always be possible, but you have life experience, maturity and possibly some directly applicable experience behind you.
Time – Becoming a firefighter can be a very time consuming challenge. If you’re working full time to support a family, you may find yourself burning the candle at both ends if you try and accomplish some of the points listed above into your busy schedule.
Education – If you have a college degree, awesome. If it’s in Fire Sciences, even better. If you have other formal training related to the fire service, you’re already a step ahead, but if you have none… well, you’re behind the ball. These days, the fire service can pick from the best of the best. If you’re not the student type, maybe consider becoming one… or ditching fire.
Family – This may possibly be the biggest factor of all, but it generally will apply to those who are married with kids. Your spouse may be hugely supportive at first, but after you’re in, and away from home for days at a time, frustration and problems can build. For some couples the schedule couldn’t be better – it allows you to spend many full days with your family at a time. Still, for others those nights alone, build up. Make sure your family knows what’s coming if you get hired.
Expenses – Becoming a firefighter isn’t cheap. Between the costs of school(s), equipment, academies, books, uniforms, and more, you can spend a pretty penny just trying to get the job. Next month, I’ll go into more detail regarding the finances of firefighting, covering both, the cost of getting in and income potentials once you’re there.
Life Risk – As obvious as this is, it’s the last thing many people consider. You could die. It’s a real possibility. These days, fire departments work smart and usually provide tons of great training to fully prepare their crews for everything they can, but you can never account for all possibilities. Firefighters do die and we all like to think it could only happen to the other guy. …but we know that’s not true. It can happen to you. If you’re just thinking about firefighting as a career, take a day to consider this. It probably wouldn’t happen in nursing.

At the end of the day, despite my skepticism, I agree with all of those optimistic firefighters who have told me not to quit and to keep my eye on the prize. I’m not sitting on my ass hoping to get hired. I’m out there, actively doing what I can to make myself a better and more realistic candidate everyday. The fact that you’re on this site, and reading this blog, means you probably are too. Keep your head up, and good luck!

If you go into an interview with answers to every question here, and pay heed to the tips which follow the questions, you will do good.  You may not get the job, but you will have done well, and that counts for a lot.

Fire Department Interview Questions

Standard Fire Interview Questions:

1. Tell us about yourself.
2. Why do you want to be a firefighter?  When did you decide on this career?
3. What is the job of a firefighter?  Are you qualified?
4. What have you done to prepare for this position?
5. What are you bringing to the job?
6. Why do you want to work for this city or agency?
7. What do you know about this city or agency?
8. What do you like to do?  What are your hobbies?
9. What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
10. What would your employer say about you?
11. What are the attributes of a firefighter?  What is the most important one to you?

How would you handle the following scenarios?

1. Drinking or drugs on the job?
2. Stealing on the job?
3. Conflict with another employee?
4. Irate citizen?
5. An employee crisis at an emergency?
6. Sexual harassment?
7. Racial situation?
8. Conflicting orders at an emergency?
9. An order that could place you in great danger or be morally wrong?
10. What do you say when you don’t know an answer to a question?
11. Are you on any other hiring lists?  What would you do if another city called you?
12. When can you start if we offered you the job?
13. How far do you want to go in the fire service?  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
14. What are the quality traits of a firefighter?  Which one is the most important to you?
15. Have you ever been in an emergency situation?  Tell us what you did.
16. What word would best describe you in a positive way? A negative way?
17. How do you handle conflict?
18. Why would we select you over the other candidates?
19. Do you have anything to add?
20. Define commonsense.
21. Define diversity.
22. What is the Mission Statement of our Fire Department?
23. What is the Vision Statement of our Fire Department?
24. Who is the Fire Chief?
25. Who makes up the Command staff of this Fire Department?
26. What type of City Government is this city?
27. What class department are we? (ISO Rating)
28. Tell us about the job announcement.
29. What are you short, mid-range and long term goals?
30. The Star of Life represents what?
31. The Maltese cross represents what?
32. What is insubordination?
33. Define Teamwork and why is Teamwork important in the fire service?
34. What is your strongest communication skill?
35. Define Character.
36. Define ethics.
37. Can you explain the Fire Tetrahedron?
38. Describe a typical day of a firefighter.
39. Define Customer Service, and how does it relate to the fire service?

Ways to strike out on an oral board interview

1. Poor personal appearance.
2. Lack of interest and enthusiasm, appear lazy.
3. Passiveness or indifference.
4. Overemphasis on wages.
5. Condemnation of past employers.
6. Failure to look at board members during interview.
7. Limp, fishy handshake.
8. Overbearing, overaggressive, conceited with superiority or “know-it-all” attitude.
9. Inability to express self clearly:  poor voice, diction and/or grammar.
10. Lack of confidence and pose:  nervous, ill at ease.
11. Make excuses:  evasive, hedges on unfavorable factors in work records, etc.
12. Lack of tact, courtesy; ill-mannered.
13. Lack of maturity and/or vitality.
14. Indecision.
15. Sloppy application.
16. Merely “shopping” for the position.
17. Want position for only a short time.
18. Lack of interest in jurisdiction.
19. Domination of interview, high pressure type.
20. Low moral standards.
21. Intolerant, strong prejudices.
22. Narrow interest.
23. Inability to listen and/or take criticism.

What to bring to your Interview

1. Enough resumes, and color copies of your certificates for the interviewers and at least 2 extra just in case.
2. Money for parking garages, or parking meters.

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Reminders about the hiring process:

1) Everything you have done since the age of 18 is made available to background investigators and fire depts.

a)    Past employment
b)    Credit scores
c)    All financial information
d)    Rental history, evictions, late payments etc….
e)    School grades
f)     Background investigators will check with friends, family, wives, girlfriends, work associates, bosses/managers/supervisors etc….
g)    Ex-wives, ex-husbands
h)   Neighbors
i)     DMV drivers license info, criminal background, Live Scan

2) Myspace, facebook, and any other online networking sites you have can and will be looked at, so watch what you say and post on them.

3) To get hired you need to separate yourself from other candidates.

a)    College degree AS, BS, BA, Master’s degree
b)    Paramedic school
c)    Life experience
d)    Outside training, check the websites list
e)   VOLUNTEER lots of places look for volunteers, do something you have an interest in, (church groups, community groups, MADD, Big Brothers, Red Cross etc…..)
f)    Don’t limit yourself to one geographical area (ie…Contra Costa Co, or Alameda Co)
g)    Take as many fire tests as possible.
h)    Take the CPAT test, keep card up to date
i)     Learn to interview

i) Eye contact
ii) Firm handshake
iii) Address interviewers by name, rank etc….
iv) If your asked “do you have any questions for us?” Instead of asking questions, Thank them for their time to interview you etc….
v) Bring your resume, color copies, application to the interview in duplicates (usually one for each interviewer + 1 extra)

j)     I suggest when you send in your application type it as a pdf document for neatness.
k)    If you’re asked to provide certificates, COLOR photocopy them NO black and whites.

Q:

Josh,

Great blog, first off. I am 28 and live in SF. I am taking the San Francisco Paramedic Association EMT-1 [Basic] class this spring. I understand that the first step into the SFFD is the written test. However, how does one best prepare for this test (when it does happen…which is in a few years, I imagine)? [Should I] take fire tech classes at a local college?

Can you go to the fire academy before gaining an appointment? What really strengthens an application and also what is a good step-by-step process?

Thanks again – and good luck!

Brian

A:

Brian,

Thanks for writing. If I understand correctly, you’ll be taking your EMT-Basic class during the coming spring semester and and then considering fire tech classes in the ultimate hope of joining the SFFD. Is that correct?

I may be misunderstanding your questions, but here are the answers to what I think you’re wondering:

1. Getting your EMT is definitely an excellent way to start. It’s what I did too, but I will tell you this – make sure to take a CPR/First aid class first. These are the two that are likely required before you can take the EMT class, though the SFPA may include it in their curriculum.
- CPR for the Professional Rescuer (American Red Cross)
- CPR Healthcare Provider (American Heart Association)

2. The SFFD is currently hiring and interviewing, but if you didn’t apply during the last application process you’ll have to wait until they do it again, which probably will be a few years from now (but who really knows). I just tested for SFFD two weeks ago, along with thousands of others. Competition is big for a department like SF.

Preparing for any fire fighter exam and interview process is the same for almost every department, big or small. You’ll want to do a couple things: Review any material they provide you, know the names of all major chiefs and fire officers in the department, know the history and as much as you can about that particular department, and the city/community which it protects. You’ll also want to practice interviewing with anybody who can help you. Practice in the mirror and learn what you can from the many online fire resources out there. You do not need to pay for interview coaching – just read, research, learn and practice.

3. Taking Fire Science classes and attending a fire academy are huge steps toward getting a job. Departments will see this and know you’re serious. You do not need to have any appointments or jobs lined up to go to an academy. For my academy, we had to have taken 3 fire technology classes, our EMT certification and have passed the CPAT.

4. To strengthen your application and enhance your image to hiring departments there are many things you can do. Here are a few good ones.
Volunteer somewhere (anywhere you would enjoy)
Get fire experience (work for CDF one summer or get involved in a reserve or volunteer fire department)
Become involved in the community (again, whatever you enjoy, but show that you’re a real part of the community you live in)
Work in a related field (the least money I’ve made in the past 10 years is right now working as an EMT. I’m not doing it for the money; I’m doing it for the experience)
Take classes, get your Firefighter 1 certificate and/or your Fire Technology degree (this shows longer term commitment to your goal)

5. You asked about a step-by-step process to go about this. That will vary for everybody, but ultimately you have to do what will work best for you. My approach was to do as much as I could at once. To illustrate this, I took my EMT, 4 fire science classes and a basic dysrythmias class in one semester. It was brutal and I lived in my books. It has been a real challenge and I’ve sacrificed a lot to do it, but I’m glad I did. I went farther faster. That won’t work for everybody. Again, do what’s good for you.

I hope this helps. Let me know what you decide to do, and if I fully answered your questions.

p.s. You may want to read this post I wrote on getting an education for the fire service.

- Josh

Q:

Q:Josh,

Thanks for the great information and also best of luck with the SFFD process!

In terms of the EMT, I see that CCSF (City College of SF) offers this course at around $280 and the SF Paramedics Association is 5x that. Is the SFPA regarded as more prestigious? What is the benefit of going there versus CCSF?

Also, what have you heard about the CCSF Fire Academy. It would be more convenient for me to go there as opposed to somewhere in the East Bay – what are your thoughts?

I understand that the application process for the SFFD is simply a written exam, and then you are sorted based on your score. With that being said, why does building your resume strengthen your chances (per your blog postings)? Theoretically, can’t someone off the street score 100% and then someone who has done 5 years of EMT, the First Academy, etc. score less and the individual with the better score advances?

How difficult is it to get into the Reserves here in the City, from what you have discovered?

Thanks, you’ve been helpful, and good luck again!

Brian

A:

Brian,

I’m glad to hear I’ve been helpful. That really means a lot to me!

When it comes to getting your EMT, forget about prestige. Most schools that offer the program are good; and employers, whether they be a fire department or an ambulance company just aren’t all that concerned with where you got certified. The fact that you are certified is what counts. The ultimate key is that you study hard and learn what they’re teaching. On that note, I’m personally not a fan of the very fast, and very expensive 1 month or 1 week programs. Having been through a full semester EMT program, I just don’t believe a person is going to truly soak up everything you’re supposed to learn in such a short time.

That’s not to eliminate those “quickie” options entirely…. If you have the money (they’re very costly) for such a fast-paced program, you will learn all the essential basics. Plus, what happens on the job is often different from what you learned in class, so if you can pass the national registry exam and get a job quickly, you might want to sharpen your skills on the job.
Like with most things, the best way to learn something is to do it for real.

I say go to city college where you save money and the location is convenient. CCSF has a good reputation anyway.

Your question regarding resumes is an excellent one, and you are right about the exam sorting candidates by score. They (and very many fire depts.) don’t want anything to do with resumes until you’ve passed a significant chunk of the hiring process. Nonetheless, if you make it to the oral interview they’re going to want to see a resume, and having a good one ready is going to be a great benefit.

The last thing you want to do when you should be practicing your interviewing, is struggling to write a decent resume. Your resume will be looked at, and having it decked out with volunteer experience, applicable jobs and community involvement is going to set you apart from competing candidates at this very significant stage in the hiring process. Don’t let your resume be your weak link; have it be the extra mile that puts you ahead of the competition.

You asked: “Theoretically, can’t someone off the street score 100% and then someone who has done 5 years of EMT, the First Academy, etc. score less, and the individual with the better score advances?” The answer of course is yes… theoretically. Realistically, no. I can go on and on about this, but I’ll spare the details and leave it at this: I believe anything is possible (You or I might win the lottery), but million to one chances aside, we have to work hard for what we want.

Getting into the San Francisco reserves is tough. There are long lines, but it’s definitely possible. Unfortunately, I don’t know quite enough about it to make any truly definitive statements on the topic, but I’ll learn what I can and let you know.

Keep in touch!

- Josh

I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do from that point on. The hands on, dirty work, and adrenaline rush was my calling. The history and knowledge of the fire service amazes me every time I learn something new. I worked very hard on my first EMT class with the Sacramento fire department. It was not until I was 19 when I got my first job on a transporting BLS ambulance. When this happened, I started to learn about the streets and what training you do and don’t use when you’re out there.

Some of the problems I see new EMT’s face are not ones of pure class and textbook material, map reading, or defining complex medications. It’s how dedicated they are and how bad they want the next step. With firefighting and the hiring process, they [fire departments] do not just look at how many certifications you have, but what kind of person you are. A fire captain once told me, “As soon as you start training to become a fireman, it’s as if you are wearing your uniform all the time.” Everything you do defines who you are. From drinking, fighting, getting speeding tickets, disrespect to strangers, and not acting appropriately all define you who are.

We all do things when we were young that we regret. In the end, its all about manning (or woman-ing) up to what happened in the past and not making those same mistakes in the future. Some of the most positive traits you may have, may never be seen by your peers or superiors; but at some point they will pay off. Examples of this would be: Showing up early to shifts, getting held over on a shift without getting upset, running that extra call, cleaning the rig, checking out the rig, and so on it goes.

The advice I would like to give to the new EMT’s, Medic’s, Firefighter’s, Peace officer’s, and other public safety officers is to work hard. You want to be the professional you trained to be, correct? Then show the rest you are. If your at a BLS (Basic Life Support) company and your dream is to be in the 911 system, let NOTHING stand in your way. Keep applying to 911 positions ALL OVER. Not just the county or city you want, but anywhere that you can become a 911 provider. If you’re at a small town fire department and you want to work at a big department, make it happen. Go to paramedic school, take the engineers test, do whatever it takes to make that next step. You can see my angle on this subject.

Despite the ease of falling into a comfort zone, with this line of work you must not become “comfortable”. You have to constantly take classes, brush up on your skills, train with your fellow coworkers, and continue to better yourself. I understand that people have families, wives/husbands, children, other jobs, money problems, time commitment issues, and other obstacles that stop you from taking that next step. The goal is to work through it despite the fact that it will difficult. It may not fit you for that current time and may not be what you want at the moment, but think about the future and what lies down the road.

My experience becoming a 911 EMT was not an easy task, and it took at least a year to get hired due to the economy. I was working at another ambulance company for a good amount of time before I was hired. I made the tough decision of leaving a secure full-time position to go into the unknown. I knew making this switch was the right thing to do, and it was only one in a long line of hard decisions I would have to make.

I was hired on as a float EMT. My job would entail me from working: Days, Nights, 24 hour shifts, swing shifts, and half day shifts. I would also have a different partner every day. My partners’ titles ranged from: EMT-B, EMT-P, CCT-RN, and Paramedic Supervisors. The first three months were hard. Sleep was rare and still is, though I continue to better myself by teaching CPR to lay rescuers, taking classes to keep up my EMT skills, and most recently enrolling in the LMC fire academy.

My advice to future public safety workers… Stay safe, stay smart, and work when no one is looking. This will be your future career; you are becoming a professional in your skill and field. People will depend on you night and day, whether you are tired, hungry, or sad. You are going to become (or already are) a part of society that is held to a higher standard. You will be remembered for your mistakes before all the things you have done right. Your integrity, wisdom, ethics, and morals will be tested. You will be pushed harder than you ever have.

Good-luck to your future, and hope to see you 10-97 (on scene)!

These resumes are general in nature and invite you to make any changes you like.  Each resume will be geared toward achieving a position or promotion, but don’t let that stop you from using it if you’re not aiming for that particular job or title.  As an example, the first resume I will post here is for an experienced firefighter II/Engineer who might be applying for a Captains position.

If you have no firefighting experience, you can still effectively use this resume by downloading it and changing the text to fit your current career profile.  Easy-schmeezy.

Though the resumes are set up in a format which is conducive to highlighting important items departments will be looking for, you should add, remove or adjust anything you feel necessary.  If you’re not sure, write me and ask.  I’m happy to help.

Firefighter II Resume

The morning started like all Saturday mornings at the Academy, with PT (physical training) and stretches.  From there we get down to business immediately.  Each company rotated through the different drills throughout the course of the day, but of course I’ll tell this as it happened for my group.

Rescue Drill #1 - Confined Spaces

First, East Contra Costa County Battalion Chief, Jeff Burris led us through the ‘confined spaces’ drills.  He showed us a section of concrete pipping that was probably about 15 feet long, but maybe 2 ½ feet wide, and told us to “get through it”.   Of my group, I was one of the bigger guys mainly because I work out a lot and have broad shoulders as a result.  This is important because getting through this section of tubing is no easy task and the wider your shoulders the less room you have to maneuver.

I have to admit, I was nervous just looking at the thing.  It was going to be a super tight fit, there was no question about that.  I just wondered if I’d actually be able to get through it at all, especially with all my gear on!  Edgar Suarez who is my engine company captain, was first in line and headed right in getting on his back, and steadily slinking his way through the tube.  Suarez made it look easy, but he happens to be one of the smaller guys in our group (engines 7 & 8).  Before me a few of the other guys (all smaller than myself) tried Suarez’s ‘on the back’ technique, and a few others went through on their stomachs. A few more guys went and struggled through it, and then it was my turn…

At this point my mind was poisoned with doubt, but there was nothing I could do except get down do it.   I initially tried going in, stomach down and was shocked at how snug and tight the fit was.  I couldn’t move and felt panic rising, but not because of fear of getting stuck, but rather fear that I might not be able to do it.

Thinking that maybe Suarez knew something I didn’t, I backed my body out (at this point my legs hadn’t made it in) and started again on my back.  Again, an amazingly tight fit, but I found I was able to slink through bit by bit with alternating shoulder motions and a bit of footwork.  As I got to the middle and was very aware of how completely wrapped in concrete I was, I knew I had two choices: freak out or stay calm and just work my way through it.

I did reach the end and was hugely relieved to be out and done!  After the rest of the guys made it through it became obvious we were far from done, but first it was Chief Burris’s turn.  Now that we had all struggled our way through the tubing, he explained to us that the key to getting through the tube was to put your arms in front of you, using your forearms as support and to keep your belly off the ground (to avoid friction) while using your feet to help move you along.  Sounds simple and obvious, right?  Not when you’re face to face with becoming a human cork.

Nonetheless, to prove his point Burris got down, slid his helmet in front of him and almost as soon as he’d gone in, he was coming out the other end.  I was truly impressed.  And with that of course, we all went again; but this time on our hands and knees.  I can’t say I found it much easier at the moment, but I did learn to become more relaxed and confident crawling through the tubes.  Eventually we all made it through and moved on to longer and more involved series of tubing, but it was a pretty thrilling experience.  Apparently there were some confined space attic drills too, but my group didn’t get to do that.

Rescue Drill #2 – Moving Heavy Objects

Alameda Firefighter, Thomas Wong ran our next drill which was to essentially move a 4,500 lbs. slab of concrete from one place to another.  Sounds simple except for the 4,500 lbs. part.  This we did slowly and deliberately using cribbing, or wooden blocks (4″x4″ and 2″x4″) stacked in a square framework fashion, and slid underneath the concrete to hold it up.  To get the slabs up, we used giant steel prying bars and as two of us hoisted it up, the cribbers would fill the gaps we made with cribbing.

As a group we were given various positions with one of us being the Incident Commander, one being the Safety Officer, two being lifters, two working as cribbers and after some time in our roles, we’d switch positions.  Danny Saballos started as our groups IC and I started as a lifter.  Eventually, Danny and I switched roles as did others within our group.  By the end of the drill we had completely moved, lifted and lowered the concrete slabs off of their original stack, and into a new location successfully.  This was another fun drill which focused on teamwork and planning.

Rescue Drill #3 – Structure Search

The next drill was the classic residential structure search, and at this point in the day, the sun was at it’s peak.  Fortunately this drill took place in doors.  The house is called the “Roach House”, not because it’s disgusting and full of roaches, but because the family who originally lived there, had the last name ‘Roach’.

Our job was was simply to put our turnouts and SCBA on, wearing our flash hoods backwards so we can’t see, and to search the house for bodies.  The hood is worn backwards so we can’t see as it would be in a highly smoky environment.  In addition, the search is done on our hands and knees as it would be in a real burning building.  In comparison to the heat of a real fire, the sun is not a bad deal.

My search partner was Dante Wiley whose father was the hugely respected Richmond firefighter, Ron Wiley.  Dante and I entered the building with me taking the lead and always maintaining contact with the wall to my left.  Wiley using a length of webbing attached to my gear extended our search by fanning out and covering all mid-sections of any rooms we entered.

It’s pretty amazing how big a place can suddenly become when your breathing is restricted and you’re getting hotter and sweatier by the moment, and all the while can’t see a thing around you.  What would otherwise be as familiar a place as any (the inside of a normal home) becomes an unexplored wasteland of corners, crevices and mysteries.

You have to make sure to feel every part of anything you come across because you never know where somebody may have tried to hide or become trapped.  In the case of our search, Wiley and I were looking for a baby which meant even the smallest of spaced needed to be checked.  We searched high and low and in every room for what felt like forever.  Finally, we came across an old boot we had found at the beginning of our search which told us we were back at our original entry point.  At this time our instructor concluded our search with the two of us disappointed for having “failed” to find the victim.

After the next team went in, and Dante and I dehydrated, we learned that the baby dummy we were looking for wasn’t a dummy at all, but a road cone.  Dante Wiley perked up at that and exclaimed “I found that a while ago!”.  As it turned out we found our victim, and didn’t even know it.   We found that “cone shaped baby” as the instructor had described it, but left it where it was for obvious reasons.  I guess we’ll have to work on our listening skills better going forward.

Rescue Drill #4 – RIT & RIC or Rapid Intervention Team/Crew

A RIC is a company of firefighters who are specifically assigned to search and rescue trapped or lost firefighters.  Unless a firefighter is in need of help, the Rapid Intervention Crew is not active.  In this final drill, our group was broken up into 3 sub-groups.  The first were to be citizen victims, the second was the firefighters who were to rescue them and the third group was the RIC team.  I was in the third group.

In normal firefighting operations, firefighters always work in teams of two.  You never do anything without your “battle buddy”.  This means that a RIC team needs at least 4 firefighters, or two for each possible downed firefighter.  For the purpose of our drills, we had only teams of two.  My battle buddy here was my team lieutenant, Edgar Suarez.  Our “residential structure” was the Contra Costa County Training Tower in Concord, CA.

The victims were in the basement.  Suarez and I waited outside while the firefighter group went in.   Eventually, we were notified that a firefighter was down.  We headed in, staying low as if there was real heat and smoke to avoid.  Downstairs we went, and though we weren’t blindfolded for this drill, we didn’t need to be.  In the windowless black of the basement, there was no light at all.  We felt our way around and eventually found a foot.  The foot led to a body which I hoped might be on a the smaller side.

My hopes were tossed aside as the “downed firefighter” turned out to be Terry “Angel” Zapata, who is anything but small.  At 215 lbs, plus turnouts and SCBA, Zapata is no light load.   Fire instructors will often tell you that in a fire, it may take 2-3 firefighters to rescue a citizen, but it will take as many as 12 to rescue a downed firefighter.   I don’t know the specifics as to how that number was arrived upon, but I will say that by the end of this drill I felt as though I had done the work of 12 men.

Rescuing Angel Zapata wouldn’t be so bad, were Angel to occasionally use a leg for a little push…. maybe make a lurching motion in the direction we were going… or even just lift an arm so we might get a better grip on him.  Unfortunately for Suarez and I, Angel plays a downed fire fighter with worthiness of an Oscar winner.   He was pure dead weight, and we felt every ounce.

Pulling a downed firefighter in tight dark quarters is tough enough, but getting a firefighter up a narrow stairway is even harder.  For anybody who’s done the CPAT, you know what pulling a 165lbs. dummy feels like, and that’s in optimal conditions without gear on, and on a smooth surface.

By the time Edgar and I had gotten Angel to the top and out the door, I was as winded, exhausted and downright spent as I could be.  Being that our BA’s don’t work, the SCBA masks make breathing even more difficult and by the time I reached the top and had dragged Angel outside, I was toast!  I got my turnout top open as quickly as possible, but was too worked over to get my helmet, flash hood or SCBA off.   Fortunately for me, Eisho Suzuki, Lieutenant of Engine 8 saw my distress (and believe me – I was distressed!) and helped free me from my gear.  Suzuki was in the next RIC team and I was able to repay the favor when he emerged with his victim.

After all the drills were done and we we’d finished cleaning up our stations Captain Grillo set up a little engine company competition.  There were to be four sets of two teams competing against one another in a 4 step firefighter challenge.  It went like this:

1. Hose Race – With live hoselines firing full blast, two cadets had to race one length of hose (approx. 50 feet).
2. Hammer Swing – Get to the waiting sledgehammers and strike a tire ten times.
3. Stair Climb – Pretty simple really.  Get to the tower stairs, go three flights up.  (Not sure if this truly counts as a step)
4. Tool Hoist – Once on the third floor, we had to hoist a chainsaw up and then back down without slipping and in the proper manner.

After the tool hoist, you had to get back down as quickly as possible and make it back to your team first and then the next person would go until all four members of each engine company had gone.  My Engine 7 was of course against our frequent partners in Engine 8.  It was a good race and Engine 8 put up an admirable fight, but of course Engine 7 (with me in anchor) won the battle.  …of course.

**Engine 8, if you have anything to say about this, please feel free to reply below.  Also, if any of the other engine companies have any fun highlights from their competitions, please tell about them below.

It was a long day, but ton’s of fun and we all got some great experience that day.  I’m looking forward to more.

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