Before a brief history of the fire service, we introduced ourselves to our class. I sat and listened intently to the stories of those who were sharing my fears, anxiety, and sense of awe at the task we had set ourselves toward.
Each of these men had an intriguing ambition to learn new skills, break stuff, and serve their communities. Many of them served in the military or police and EMT roles. They came from all over the country with different backgrounds and families. What we all had in common was a drive to be prepared for the worst.
I worried about whether I had the skill and knowledge to compete with these men. I worried about being the first to "wash out."
Fire Academy is a very difficult program. You must be committed to the pursuit of knowledge, skill, and teamwork. Fire Academy will quickly separate those with simple dreams and aspirations from those with dedication and discipline. When you find out that you can't keep up with the testing, skills, and time commitment you either resign or get an escort to the door. That's called "Washing Out."
I set aside my apprehension and began studying. Our first class gave a brief history of the fire service in the United States, including the bucket brigades of 1648 to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Iriquois Theatre Fire of 1903 to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911. These historic tragedies led to great innovations in public safety including panic hardware on exit doors and established means of egress (exit).
Academy quickly escalated between book studies to physical training. We were introduced to Crossfit which is a total body cardio, anaerobic, aerobic, strength training circuit of workouts. We were required to perform exercises that tested the limits of our physical abilities and were intended to strengthen us physically and mentally.
We moved on to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which is our bunker gear. A firefighter's PPE is designed to withstand extreme temperatures and protect them from severe burns and trauma. Although extremely well made and protective it is not impervious to damage. This is what happens to a firefighter and his PPE in a fully involved flashover fire.
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| Photo © NIS |
It became apparent very quickly who was keeping up on studies and practicing their skills on their own time. Several companies had progressed quickly and were very fast donning their PPE/SCBA - yeah, yeah, settle down Rescue 1. It was evident that they were practicing as a company and working hard together.
There were others who lagged behind both on their skills in the bay and on their test scores. In our company, Engine 12, we had a recruit who struggled on every assignment. Homework assignments were turned in late and incorrect, tests were incomplete or failing, training skills were lacking a sense of urgency, attention to detail, and knowledge. We struggled as a company and met after class and off-nights.
My concern initially began as assistance for my associate. We worked hard on the assignments together as a company, reading the book to each other, quizzing each other on review questions, practicing knots and donning SCBA. Unfortunately our hard work was not transferring to the class or the tests.
Engine 12 was quickly becoming a joke in Academy. Our "Wash-Out" was causing embarrassing moments of distress during drills in which Chief would become very frustrated and yell and scream about issues he had not resolved.
This was where I was struggling to realize the so-called brotherhood of the fire department. Until this point there was nothing more than competition. I remember one late night after academy, standing in my kitchen eating a late night dinner and wondering if I had what it took to fit in with these guys. Was I strong enough to take punishment for another man's problems and still support him?
After the third time that we as a company and as an entire academy had to pay for his mistakes by doing pushups in full gear, and he had failed his latest test, my concern had changed to anger. I had finally decided to confront him.
I had enough of his slacking and let him know. I yelled at him in the parking lot, much to the dismay of others, and let him know that I wanted him out. I considered him a safety risk to anyone who might have to work with him.
With that action I had failed a very personal yet departmental test. Chain of command. My officer is in charge of company discipline and decision making, not me. I had failed to remain as a supporting member of my company and was "freelancing". Freelancing is a dangerous and selfish mindset that can get a firefighter and others killed.
I knew immediately that it was not my place to tear him down and I had to consult some friends for help and wisdom. A great friend had related some military advice that kept my temper in check - I needed to let the program wash him out. It was my job to support him just as I would want others to help and support me.
Our "Wash-Out" began to show up and make time for study and passed his next test! I was very excited and continued to encourage him. However, that didn't last long. He quickly returned to excuses, missing practices and study meetings, and continued to fail tests.
We nervously continued to work together with a strained company. The following weeks involved search and rescue techniques, smoke trailers, confined space search, hose rolling, fire hydrant hooking, and hose control as we prepared for a real house burn!
As we geared up for search and rescue techniques we had all learned as a company that Engine 12 would now go forth with only 3 members. We officially had a member who had resigned.
Unofficially he was washed out.
I was determined to prove that I would not be washed out, that I was a strong firefighter and capable of doing this job. It was after that moment that everything turned around in Fire Academy.
Next week will include stories of water rescue training, fire trailer training, smoke trailer training, and search and rescue! Look forward to exciting stories and knowledge of claustrophobia, smoke inhalation, exhaustion, and FIRE!
Do you have a similar story? How did you stay focused to make it through your trials?
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