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

Quote:

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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:

Quote:

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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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Quote:

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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.

Keep posting. As a volunteer fireman I'm always interested what the pros are doing :2thumbsup:

FIRE!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/images/223521..._wildfires.jpg

Well then, go on now. How 'bout a bit 'o OJT? :2thumbsup:

Had a fatal Traffic Accident the other night. Luckily I have seen many of these with my previous job, so I don't get too bothered when I see the dead and injured. A Ford Explorer went off the Interstate, rolled, and slammed into a large dirt wall. All four passengers were ejected due to no seatbelts. The young lady I was working on had a neck like a zig-zag and was clearly broken as well as a deformed shattered left tibula & fibula, broken right clavicle, and broken right forearm. She was screaming as best she could as we got her on the spine board and immobilized her neck. She would start to fall asleep, and I, while holding her head in place, would yell down to her: "Honey, Stay with me! Wake up!" Her response would be to wake up, frantically look around, and then start screaming again. She was about 15 feet from the car. The other three were thrown over 100 feet over the dirt wall and down into a rocky ravine. The 18 year old girl who died sustained massive head trauma. Her 19 yr old boyfriend, who's face resembled ground beef (smashed jaw- no teeth, blood pouring from his mouth all over the place, etc.), was found weeping over her body and had to be pried away. He was actually the lucky one. The last person, a 30 yr old parolee, was critical with various internal injuries and broken bones. It is a wonder that those two men lived, considering the distance they were thrown.

Normally, when one is involved in a rollover with no seatbelt, they are thrown halfway out and the car rolls over them, cutting them in half or squishing out their insides like a beetle that got stepped on.

Almost every traffic accident death I have ever seen came from one or more of the following factors:

(1) No seatbelt- This last accident, plus a guy who slammed into another car head on and planted the rearview mirror into the back of his skull. Also, three Marines were involved in a rollover and were all squished together under the vehicle. We couldn't tell how many there were in the bloody mess until we observed an extra foot.

(2) Speed- A young Marine picked up his girlfriend who snuck out of her parents house. 15 Minutes later, he spun the car out on a curvem where the back end then struck a tree. That car exploded and caught fire, and witnesses heard the girl screaming as she burnt alive in the vehicle.

(3) Alcohol- Too numerous to list. The driver was drunk and did some stupid passing manuever. The truck was going so fast that it rolled seven or eight times, with the force so great that it exceeded the load capacity of a passenger seatblet causing it to break and launching the guy out of the vehicle where his head struck a railroad tie. Brains everywhere. We tried to hide his body from the slowly passing amtrak train full of wide-eyed shocked passengers.

(4) Falling Asleep at the wheel- An illegal immigrant fell asleep and crossed into oncoming traffic, he woke up, jammed the wheel to the right, spun around and was slammed by an SUV into the driver's side door. We found him in the backseat.

(5) Motorcycles- A guy was cruising along on his cycle on the freeway when He was struck from behind. He was launched from the bike and was struck and dragged by multiple vehicles. We found his remains spread out over 1/2 mile.

Any one of these is bad enough, but the more you mix the better your chances of death. Speed increases severity, Alcohol guarantees driver error, and no seatbelts are almost always a free ticket to a dirt nap. Motorcycles are just inherently dangerous due to their limited protection.

Anyway. The job is going great. Hard work of course- I am guaranteed to sweat my balls off every day, but I love it.

EDIT: Photos.

https://img380.imageshack.us/img380/...cident1bp5.jpg

https://img380.imageshack.us/img380/...cident2ci3.jpg

That's horrific, DA. I hope the rest of the people turn out okay.

As a side not, I filed traffic accident reports over the summer part of the time, and the most common cause of an accident in the reports was someone pulling out from a stop sign onto a road and striking a car or getting struck.

Crazed Rabbit

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

That's horrific, DA. I hope the rest of the people turn out okay.

As a side not, I filed traffic accident reports over the summer part of the time, and the most common cause of an accident in the reports was someone pulling out from a stop sign onto a road and striking a car or getting struck.

Crazed Rabbit

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Ok, that was the cause of the actual accident but what was it that made them disregard stop signs? Unattentiveness because of drunkeness? Tiredness? Drugs? Etc.

I gather that was what DA was talking about.

Quid

Probably just plain unattentiveness/poor line of sight. There's a reason rotaries are way safer than intersections.

Also, DA's reasons were associated with traffic accident deaths. It sounds as though CR's reports were for accidents in general. Bad timing pulling out may cause more accidents, but how many of those are fatal?

Ajax

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Originally Posted by Quid

Ok, that was the cause of the actual accident but what was it that made them disregard stop signs? Unattentiveness because of drunkeness? Tiredness? Drugs? Etc.

I gather that was what DA was talking about.

Quid

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Sasaki's got it; not paying attention, mostly.

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Also, DA's reasons were associated with traffic accident deaths. It sounds as though CR's reports were for accidents in general. Bad timing pulling out may cause more accidents, but how many of those are fatal?

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Good point.

Crazed Rabbit

Ya. Deaths. Most non-fatal accident are rear-enders from following too closely or traveling too fast for the conditions. Speed is the greatest facotr os basic accidents. My comments above refer to deaths. Those four factors are like a director stating: "cue death!" Seatbelts especially. I mean, consider running as fast as you can head first into a brick wall. That's only like tenb miles an hour. At 20 mph, you would experience FOUR times as much force. Energy quadruples with velocity.

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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

Energy quadruples with velocity.

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Energy squares with velocity.

Go twice as fast and you hit four times as hard.
Go three times as fast and you hit nine times as hard.
Go 10 times as fast and you hit 1000 times as hard.

Seat belts have a secondary role in helping prevent accidents in the first place. By keeping you in your seat at the wheel it can help you remain in control longer rather then sliding out of the driver position.

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Originally Posted by Papewaio

Energy squares with velocity.

Go twice as fast and you hit four times as hard.

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That is essentially what I meant. I just used an easy to understand term. But thanks for clarifying it. :book:

Good luck with your new job, Divinus Arma. Your posts here are very informative and interesting, if sometimes scarey. You are a brave man. I really like the photo on the first page of you in uniform. From this, as from your posts, I can see you are a person who enjoys life and goes at it with a real zeist. It's great that you have found such a worthwhile outlet for your energy and ability. All power to your elbow, sir! :bow:

I am entirely greatful that I never had to work traffic accidents. I supose part of you gets used to the brain splattering and raw human hamburger; I'm just not too sure what happens to the rest. :skull:

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

I am entirely greatful that I never had to work traffic accidents. I supose part of you gets used to the brain splattering and raw human hamburger; I'm just not too sure what happens to the rest. :skull:

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For every death, I say a brief prayer on scene. Essentially, I ask God to accept them and welcome them and... please let me work.

It allows me to remember that solidity is an illusion and that existence is merely a matter of perspective.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

That is essentially what I meant. I just used an easy to understand term. But thanks for clarifying it. :book:

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No worries, I can understand the physics, I do not think I could handle seeing the consequences of someone who comes off second best with a sudden stop.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Papewaio

No worries, I can understand the physics, I do not think I could handle seeing the consequences of someone who comes off second best with a sudden stop.

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Sadly, you get used to it.

I am posting from the Captain's computer, so I better run before I hear it from the Engineer.

Oh, and my wife should have the baby a tad early with no complications this weekend. :2thumbsup:

Sadly, I had to put my MBA on hold until February. I am halfway through and I would have Graduated in late Spring. Alas, it must wait due to new job + baby. I barely even have time to post around here.

The day began like any other with vehicle maintenance, cleaning, and station chores. It wasn’t until after lunch that our crew was finally able to escape monotony and conduct some good training. We procured an abandoned building for some structure fire training and proceeded to fill a few rooms with artificial smoke. For two hours we worked on ventilation (clearing smoke from a room) and search & rescue tactics. We were just getting warmed up when we got the call.

The tone alert went out across our radios. “Engine ****, vehicle fire, ***** Road South of ******.” (info deleted for what little privacy I have left) We had already been geared up, so we simply jumped on the engine and roared down towards the fire. It’s funny sometimes how these things work. All morning we had been wishing for a good fire.

My engineer called out, “Holy Shit! Look at that header!”

We were still a mile and a half away but a thick column of smoke was billowing up over the horizon. Knowing where it was, we figured it must have caught some brush as well. I looked across the cab at my other firefighter and we both smiled. She came across the radio: “You take the nozzle”.

And then we arrived. “Is that a tanker?”

“It’s a semi”.

“The vegetation is taking off”.

“Let’s go!”

The road was blocked in both directions by police. Behind us, a few hundreds cars had been stopped and people were standing outside of their cars watching the fire. In front of us was a military tractor-trailer fully involved, with flames leaping thirty feet into the sky. Black poisonous smoke blew across the road and into the clear blue sky. To our right, a brush fire had taken off up the hill.

I took the nozzle at the front bumper and powered towards the flames. Reaching the end of my line, I called to the engineer: “Water!” I opened the bail slowly to let out the air until my water supply came to me. I quickly adjusted my gpm flow and fog pattern. I closed the bail and I was ready. As I started to approach the flames, my engineer called to me, “Watch those tires, they could blow!” To my right, I could see my other firefighter attempting to reach the vegetation fire, but the captain redirected her to the vehicle fire and called for another engine to fight the brush fire. I opened my bail and let out a steady 30 degree fog on the tires from about twenty feet away. The force of the water rushing through the nozzle pushed me back a step. It’s surprising how heavy and powerful a fully charged inch-and-3/4 fire hose is. Considering that a gallon of water weighs eight pounds, you can imagine how much power is coming from one hundred feet of hose as thick as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s forearm.

I inched towards the fire, laying down my stream. Smoke and steam replaced the flames, but the main body of the fire still climbed high into the air. And then… something exploded. BOOM! 50 feet in front of me, flames and hot debris launched four stories into the sky. I flinched and ducked as the sound and vibration surprised me. Chunks of burning metal arched out like miniature comets, smoke trailing behind them. I turned back towards the fire as little pieces of metal debris landed around me with clangs and thuds. And without further hesitation, I pressed forward, towards the fire.

The other firefighter worked her way around and we attacked from two directions. The heat died and so did the flames along with them. The black smoke turned to gray, and then to white. The fire attacker brush truck arrived and stormed the hill, attacking the vegetation fire. We surrounded the vehicle and finished it off, spraying smoking areas as the tires and equipment defiantly smoldered.



Here are some Photos:

Structure Training-

https://img212.imageshack.us/img212/...ainingahe4.jpg

https://img360.imageshack.us/img360/...ainingblc5.jpg

https://img212.imageshack.us/img212/...ainingcey0.jpg

https://img212.imageshack.us/img212/...ainingdku1.jpg


Vehicle Fire-

https://img360.imageshack.us/img360/...ehicleazh0.jpg

https://img212.imageshack.us/img212/...ehiclebuh6.jpg

Wooh DA that's some crazy stuff :dizzy2: . But it looks like your doing a good job with your new job.:2thumbsup: I can't imagine seeing those people who got flung at of their car. That's why you should always where your seatbelt.

Sounds like you are having more fun than you should legally be allowed. :2thumbsup:

Fortunate that no one was hurt in that fire DA. Hopefully all all incidents will be such, but if they are not then may you be swift enough to prevent long term damage to those involved. What happened with the brush fire?

Do you have your own buildings for training as well? I know that the Las Vegas Fire Department has their own buildings for training but others I don't know.