Fire Fighter Training Is An Important Step

By Marla Mills


Many will remember starting school, and the teacher asking the class what they wanted to be when they grew up. A popular choice amongst the boys was a fireman, there is a certain aspect with that job which fires the imagination. There's certainly more to the job than holding a hose and directing water at a flaming building. To maintain their high standards the service insists that everyone undergoes fire fighter training.

All fires are different but there are some basic similarities. Any blaze needs three things to exist and survive, these are fuel, heat and oxygen. If any one of these elements is removed then the blaze will diminish and die. This is something often referred to as the fire triangle. The firemen have to decide which element they will attempt to remove at an emergency call.

For instance when you see news reports showing a blaze being tackled and hoses of water being directed towards the flames. The purpose of water is helping to cool the flames. In other words the heat is being removed from the triangle.

You will often notice that some members from the crew are wearing breathing apparatus. There will also be someone controlling these teams. As you might expect this can only be done after careful instruction.

Notice the equipment those in the breathing gear are carrying. There are pry bars and axes. These will be used to pull the actual fire to pieces, smaller fires are easier to deal with rather than a major fire. At the same time the crew are reducing the amount of fuel available for the flames to feed on. This is all done while actually within the blaze, so all of the instruction has a valid point.

The types of incidents that crews will face depends upon their location. These incidents could require different skill sets. There is a world of difference between incidents in residential areas and those at airports. At an airport there are plenty of flammable liquids, and so a foam forming compound is utilized. However if this is not used properly the flames can reignite.

Also there are major incidents out on the highways which the crews attend. The trucks carry a wide array of specialist recovery equipment. This can include inflatable bags and cutting equipment. These are used to assist a victim escape from a crushed vehicle. If they cut in the wrong place it is possible that the situation can be made worse.

Even driving the firetruck is going to require a different set of driving skills to those normally needed. Therefore there will also be specialized courses that potential drivers will have to go on. These trucks will have different driving characteristics depending on how much water is on-board.

So with all of these different aspects to their job it is easy to see why fire fighter training has to be so extensive. Once all of the qualifications have been gained then a fireman becomes a valuable part of the community. Like any of the other emergency services it takes a special kind of person to fill the job requirements, but what a rewarding job it is for those lucky enough to be selected.




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