First Day on the job with Fire

I started my new job on Tuesday. From the information I was given by Human Resources, I was expecting only an orientation and to receive my uniforms. I was immediately assigned to a Station and ordered to work the full 24 hours. I was thrilled.

At around 7pm I arrived at my station to meet the captain and crew, and was warmly welcomed. Great people. As dusk turned to night, we started going over my equipment and gear to ensure I had everything. As we were doing so, we received a call of a wildland fire on a mountain in our area. To my surprise, the captain had me get into gear and join the crew to the fire. He explained that because I had no training yet, I would be sitting back with the division chief while the rest of the crew went up.

As we approached the mountain, I could clearly see the fire in the distance far up the side on a steep slope. It lit the area with a red glow while smoke, flames, and embers lifted into the sky. The captain and I drove up the mountain on some dirt training roads in the fire attacker (a Humvee), and reached the staging area/safety zone in a large clearing 1/2 mile below the fire. There was already one engine company at the incident with a brush truck and our brush truck was following behind us.

As the captain approached the chief for a brief with me following behind him, I could hear the crew far up the hill cutting their way to the fire with a chainsaw. Smoke and embers continued to lift into the now-dark night sky. The chief then ordered my captain up the hill, and me with him. We eached grabbed a tool; Him a shovel, myself a McCloud (a type of tool with a rake and horizontal blade on one end), and started the hike up. The hill was extremely steep and the foliage was thick with trees and high shrubs. We slowly followed the cut path up towards the sound of the chainsaw until we emerged at the anchor point of the fire line (a small clearing). Now I could see the fire on the ground. It had burnt out a large clearing, but a canopy of small tress was above both us and the fire. The flames licked at the branches, crawled up trees trunks, and stalked through the thick layer of leaves on the ground. Behind the fire, embers and coals glowed in black ash. Eight firefighters were working next to the flames, building a fireline by sweeping the fuel (brush and leaves) away from the fire. Meanwhile, the chainsaw continued to cut a path around one side of the fire.

The flames began to climb higher up and one of the firefighters yelled for a shovel. The captain handed me his and ordered me to run up and pass it along to them and come back. When I arrived on the line, the crew told me to start throwing dirt. My captain called up "He has no training yet", and a crew member responded "we'll watch him". The heat was intense and my blood rushed with adrenaline. I immediately started shoveling dirt onto the fire, and as I did so the other crew members explained what to do. As I began to dig in, other crews arrived until there were five or six engine companies cutting a line.

We worked our way completely around the fire, digging and cutting a path for a few hours until we had the entire fire area surrounded with the line . The fire then began to burn itself out, and we assisted this process by throwing dirt whenever flames began to reemerge and gain strength. Everyone was exhausted with the labor and low on water. We turned off our lights to conserve batteries and sat down for a break. Underneath the night sky, the embers glowed within the ash with an eerie warmth.

Finally, a crew brought up two lengths of hose, one for each side. We worked the hoses along the line until both nozzles met up at the top. I noticed my fellow firefighter from my company at the nozzle end and I stood behind her with the hose to back her up. To my surprise, she handed me the hose and told me to start spraying. We worked our way around to the bottom, stirring up the embers with a stream and cooling 'em down with a wide spray. Once at the bottom, myself and the other hoseman climbed our way up into the burnt area, attacking the remaining hot spots from below.

This is the best job I've ever had. I must be one of the luckiest bastards I know. And it is only going to get better.

Here's a pic after we got back to the station.

https://img178.imageshack.us/img178/373/firstdayfj2.png

Cheers.

Sounds like a sweet job, DA. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

Crazed Rabbit

So, you're a bus driver?

Well done, and I'm pleased to hear that you are enjoying the job so much!

I'm a bit concerned that your superiors would put you in such situations without appropriate training, so make sure you don't overstretch yourself through enthusiasm. But that's probably me being Euro-cautious. :wink:

Be careful. Have fun. Long may it continue. :bow:

DA, you do have a flair for telling a story, seriously, I was captivated, thanks for sharing!
Good luck tomorrow.


Throw in a little drama, maybe a gangster on the run from his boss and the fed’s or a trapped group of kids and their hot scout leader that need a rescue and you have a “Best Seller” maybe even a movie deal. ~D

:inquisitive:

You have lights on your feet.

I thought only dorky byciclists did that. (Actually, that's not entirely fair... they usually just strap flashers on their ass.)

Something I've always wondered about firemen: what's with the 24h shifts ? Is there a reason they can't work in 12h or even 8h shifts ? 'cause I ain't seeing the point...

Reminds of of the Discovery Channel show Into the Firestorm.... I think it's been cancelled though. :embarassed:

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Originally Posted by doc_bean

Something I've always wondered about firemen: what's with the 24h shifts ? Is there a reason they can't work in 12h or even 8h shifts ? 'cause I ain't seeing the point...

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Good question. There are several reasons. Fires don't last only eight hours. Some wildland fires can take days. That would be alot of overtime (and it is alot when we go on strike teams). Secondly, manpower requirements for eight hour shifts would be overwhelming. Think about it: We work 24 on, 24 off. That means one station only needs two engine companies for a total of eight guys. If we ran 8 hour shifts, we would need no less than 3 crews, and that would be with a seven day work week. Nighttime is slower, so we are just hanging around on-call or sleeping. Why pay a full time rate or overtime rate for this time? We get an on-call rate which is a little less than than the regular rate since we aren't actually "working".

Fot he type of work this is, 24 hour shifts are the way to go. I can't imagine doing this 9-5. That would be insane. With all of the gear maintenance that has to be done daily and especially after a fire, it would be overwhelming. Besides, the opportunity for an end-of-shift overtime event would triple. Instead of one changeover per day, you have three. That means three chances for an end-of-shift call and massive expenses in overtime.

It's better for organizational expense and it's a better quality of life for the crew. I love it now, and I loved it when I was an investigator in the Corps.

I hope that answers your question.

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Originally Posted by Zorba

You have lights on your feet.

I thought only dorky byciclists did that. (Actually, that's not entirely fair... they usually just strap flashers on their ass.)

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It's reflective tape. So we can be seen at night, especially on the highway. The camera flash made it light up.

But some guys like to stick flashlights up their ass you know. That way others can see the road in front of them when walking in a single file line. Plus it feels good.

Very noble occupation... :2thumbsup:

You lucky bastard.

They take one look at you, throw the manual out the window and you end up a hoseman.

:2thumbsup:

You must have looked confident, great story btw.

Congradulations DA! Great to see that you love your new job. How long will training take?

God bless you DA. My dad was a fire-fighter and I have always been proud of him for that. I am also proud of you.

You freind, (pardon the familiarity, but I think it warranted)

PS: Never underestimate the power of smoke and flames. I have been in a deadly hangar fire once, and it is not a good place to be. Take care.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...ass/DAfire.png

Excellent DA! My respects to anyone who's willing to pull my sorry behind out of a burning house. :bow:

Looks like your "training" is coming along nicely! Better than reading manuals and filling out forms. :2thumbsup:

Good work, great story!

Now we just need our resident fire chief to drop by and give you some pointers.

Well good luck with your new job DA I'm sure it'll be interesting.

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Originally Posted by Papewaio

Now we just need our resident fire chief to drop by and give you some pointers.

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And whom might that be?

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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

And whom might that be?

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Our esteemed Fire fighter from Utah.

Hah! So the woman made you use the hose while the guys didn't think you were qualified to throw dirt?! :inquisitive: Why do I think this is the perfect job for you? :laugh4:

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Originally Posted by Redleg

Our esteemed Fire fighter from Utah.

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Whatever happened to him, haven't seen him around for a while?

Gah, Ichi, Gah???

Ichi-san is our resident chief.

Check this thread where Beirut-san and Ichi-san talk about chain saws: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=52800

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Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

Sounds like a sweet job, DA. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

Crazed Rabbit

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seconded.

IMO among the noblest professions on Earth. My dad's been a volunteer firefighter for years and occasionally semi-professional. Hats off to you for the risks you take for others, good luck, and God bless. I'm glad it seems a good fit for you, too.

Ajax

I think your choice is one of the best for a retired soldier, pumping enough action altered according to your profession and age.

Do well be well :bow:

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Originally Posted by Papewaio

Ichi-san is our resident chief.

Check this thread where Beirut-san and Ichi-san talk about chain saws: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=52800

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Originally Posted by Tree Killer

"Do you plant a tree every time you cut one down?" I answered "No, but I don't go bang a broad and make a baby every time I kill someone either."

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I'm shocked. How un-frontroomish. :laugh4:

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

I'm shocked. How un-frontroomish. :laugh4:

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:evil: Hee-hee-hee...

Awesome, DA. A job you like could lead to a fruitful life.

[Thinking of a cliched geeky reference...]

The Force is with you. ~;)

@DA:

Gonna be one hella good set of 'autobiographies' when your old and tired enough to rest and just write, eh?

Good Man, you!

Sounds pretty awesome, I wish I thought of police the same way I do firemen.