Officially a Proby!
Two nights ago I entered the fire hall for my first night of training. I entered with both excitement and mild apprehension.
Upon entering the room I began to discover who my recruit mates were. I went around introducing myself to them. All in all, there were 3 junior recruits and 3 probationary recruits.
Soon after the deputy chief arrived, he tossed us a bundle of papers. The one on top excited me. It was a form indicating all of the different materials and gear that we would be receiving. Things like a helmet, nomex hood, gloves, pants and coat, boots, coveralls, t-shirt, dress uniform, pager, fire hall entry code, fire textbook, and local policy booklet. Before getting to that exciting stuff, we were asked to fill out a 2 page form re: our personal data.
Then, after a few more minutes of comments, we were taken down to the apparatus floor (main level of firehall with all the trucks). That's where we began to try on old gear for size. Boy it was fun pulling on old smoky bunker gear and getting the feel of it. We each learned the sizes we were in each respective piece of gear, and then we marked it down on a sheet so that the deputy chief could order us new gear in correct sizing. Then we took the old gear that didn't necessarily fit and put it in a free locker which will now be our own. We'll use the old stuff around the hall until the new gear arrives!
For the next 3 months during the initial orientation training, the 3 non-junior firefighters will be referred to as probies (probationary). After we pass the final exam sometime near the end of May, we'll be referred to as rookies.
That night I slept uneasily with my pager under the bed hoping it would sound off. The whole next day I wore my fire department t-shirt. Maybe sometime I'll get some pics on here of this stuff.
That was Monday night. Monday night is for the new recruits and will be mostly bookwork learning.
Last night, Tuesday night, was training night. This is when most of the other firefighters come out for regular training. I was glad I knew a few people in the department already because it can feel a little intimidating when 30 uniforms walk in that all seem to know each other, but you don't know them. But I believe that I'll get to know most of them in time. After a few initial announcements, an officer took a bunch of guys to work on a practical exam for some of the continuing education they're pursuing. Then another officer took us new recruits for a grand tour of the fire hall. It was a relaxing walk around the whole hall showing us where the main things were and how they work. It was a great opportunity to soak up more of it in and ask questions, but not entirely new as I'd already had another firefighter show me around the hall a few months ago before I applied.
Then we went back upstairs to the social hall to hang out and get to know some of the other fire department members better.
Monday nights for the next 3 months will mainly be classroom style learning upstairs in the social hall. Tuesdays nights will be practical training most likely from one of the officers.
For the first few weeks we do not go out on fire calls, but we must respond to the hall when the pager sounds. We are to respond and stand in the corner and wait till the trucks return. At that time we'll be asked to help with cleanup.
After several weeks we may be allowed to ride on the trucks, but not fight fires.
After we graduate from orientation, we will be given our badge, key to the social hall, and dress uniforms will come sometime in the months following that. We will also receive the packets for further training. We will then begin a process of self studying through 10 modules to gain our NFTA Firefighter Level I&II (NFTA=National Firefighter Training Association). This process could take the next couple of years. The firefighting experience is one of forever learning! But hey, that's part of the fun and challenge.
The fire department is a tight knit family with a well established pecking order. You work your way up through hard work and humility. But the excitement of the job makes it all a priviledge. It's also a place where lots of "poking" and "ribbing" happens. There are lots of unofficial rules amongst the guys that you learn by experience and mild penilizations. But it's all part of the fun!
One of the things I need to do is to spend time down at the hall going through the trucks and learning where all the various tools are located and what they're called. There will actually be some testing on our knowledge of where things are.
I could go on and on, but you'll learn more as I learn more.
Right now I'm excitedly waiting for my pager to sound so I can go stand in the corner at the hall and simply watch the action and help with the cleanup at the end.
Upon entering the room I began to discover who my recruit mates were. I went around introducing myself to them. All in all, there were 3 junior recruits and 3 probationary recruits.
Soon after the deputy chief arrived, he tossed us a bundle of papers. The one on top excited me. It was a form indicating all of the different materials and gear that we would be receiving. Things like a helmet, nomex hood, gloves, pants and coat, boots, coveralls, t-shirt, dress uniform, pager, fire hall entry code, fire textbook, and local policy booklet. Before getting to that exciting stuff, we were asked to fill out a 2 page form re: our personal data.
Then, after a few more minutes of comments, we were taken down to the apparatus floor (main level of firehall with all the trucks). That's where we began to try on old gear for size. Boy it was fun pulling on old smoky bunker gear and getting the feel of it. We each learned the sizes we were in each respective piece of gear, and then we marked it down on a sheet so that the deputy chief could order us new gear in correct sizing. Then we took the old gear that didn't necessarily fit and put it in a free locker which will now be our own. We'll use the old stuff around the hall until the new gear arrives!
For the next 3 months during the initial orientation training, the 3 non-junior firefighters will be referred to as probies (probationary). After we pass the final exam sometime near the end of May, we'll be referred to as rookies.
That night I slept uneasily with my pager under the bed hoping it would sound off. The whole next day I wore my fire department t-shirt. Maybe sometime I'll get some pics on here of this stuff.
That was Monday night. Monday night is for the new recruits and will be mostly bookwork learning.
Last night, Tuesday night, was training night. This is when most of the other firefighters come out for regular training. I was glad I knew a few people in the department already because it can feel a little intimidating when 30 uniforms walk in that all seem to know each other, but you don't know them. But I believe that I'll get to know most of them in time. After a few initial announcements, an officer took a bunch of guys to work on a practical exam for some of the continuing education they're pursuing. Then another officer took us new recruits for a grand tour of the fire hall. It was a relaxing walk around the whole hall showing us where the main things were and how they work. It was a great opportunity to soak up more of it in and ask questions, but not entirely new as I'd already had another firefighter show me around the hall a few months ago before I applied.
Then we went back upstairs to the social hall to hang out and get to know some of the other fire department members better.
Monday nights for the next 3 months will mainly be classroom style learning upstairs in the social hall. Tuesdays nights will be practical training most likely from one of the officers.
For the first few weeks we do not go out on fire calls, but we must respond to the hall when the pager sounds. We are to respond and stand in the corner and wait till the trucks return. At that time we'll be asked to help with cleanup.
After several weeks we may be allowed to ride on the trucks, but not fight fires.
After we graduate from orientation, we will be given our badge, key to the social hall, and dress uniforms will come sometime in the months following that. We will also receive the packets for further training. We will then begin a process of self studying through 10 modules to gain our NFTA Firefighter Level I&II (NFTA=National Firefighter Training Association). This process could take the next couple of years. The firefighting experience is one of forever learning! But hey, that's part of the fun and challenge.
The fire department is a tight knit family with a well established pecking order. You work your way up through hard work and humility. But the excitement of the job makes it all a priviledge. It's also a place where lots of "poking" and "ribbing" happens. There are lots of unofficial rules amongst the guys that you learn by experience and mild penilizations. But it's all part of the fun!
One of the things I need to do is to spend time down at the hall going through the trucks and learning where all the various tools are located and what they're called. There will actually be some testing on our knowledge of where things are.
I could go on and on, but you'll learn more as I learn more.
Right now I'm excitedly waiting for my pager to sound so I can go stand in the corner at the hall and simply watch the action and help with the cleanup at the end.
posted by Hanan Merrill at 8:57 AM
1 comments
