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Hi Guys,
I have just been accepted into my local VFD and I am very excited to start my training in a couple of weeks. I was just hoping I could get some feedback from other volunteer fiefighters as to what to expect during the training and how they have handled being on call etc.
Thanks.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rusty Mancini on
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Question1. Sore muscles if your doing physical hands on training!
Question 2. It depends on what type of call it is?
Damian, Listen and do as your ordered too.. for starters. Be very observant to whats going on around you. Take one call at a time. You can learn a lot by paying attention to your officers, and other members that have been around for awhile. Good luck.. and stay safe!
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Expect to learn things you've probably never had to touch on, expect to do things you've probably never even thought od doing.
Listen to the instructor(s). If you don't understand something, ask for clarification, remember that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. Firefighting isn't rocket science, but everyone has to learn from the begining.
How do you handle being 'on call'? I tell new people (and some not so new) to learn how to control the excitement, to control the adrenaline, not let the adrenaline control them. One method for that is to take ten deep slow breaths as you start to drive to a call; to force yourself to obey the road law; to treat every intersection on the way as a known danger intersection. That system worked for me, I still practice it if I feel the pager message has kicked my body into overdrive, it also;means that if I find when I get to the station that I'm to be a driver then I'm iin the right frame of mind.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Mackie on
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Hi Damian
Congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful world of the fire services. You will love it I am sure.
Add to what the others have said, just take your time, and don't try to ackomplish too much too fast. Learn as much as you can, whenever you can, and where you are done, learn something else. Be prepared to learn throughout your entire career as a firefighter.
Don't try to be "god's gift to firefighters. There are enough of those already, and they are dangerous to work with.
again, welcome and good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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Be humble. Be a good listener. Be willing to accept difficult scenes, such as injury, death and destruction. Don't do anything until you're told to do so. Soak it all up and take it all in. It'll take a long time to learn the basics. Be patient. Once you begin to see how things are done - then ask questions. CONGRATULATIONS! STAY SAFE!
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Permalink Reply by carl hockett on
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Couldn't have put it any bettter than the previous members did. Take your time and learn. Listen, Listen, and then Listen some more. There is a lot to learn out there and no quick way to do it. Find a mentor on you department if you can. Someone that will take the time to show you the way around and let you know what is expected of you, and when. Congrats on joining the greatest brotherhood on the planet.
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Permalink Reply by Damo on
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Guys, thank you all for the great advice. It will be a great honour to become a firefighter, so I will keep all your ideas close and do my best out there. I hope that being in my late 30s will allow me to have a more serious head and not be gung Ho about it all. In the mean time I am off to the gym as I can't let the youngsters show me up.
Thanks again and y'all be safe now.
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Permalink Reply by Matthew Powers on
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Initial training can be the best time, or the worst time of your career. Be there to learn, not just pass the course. I do not know how many people I have seen read a chapter in a text book and think they knew everything about the subject. Good instructors will not let this go on long, and will call you out on it. You do NOT want to be that guy.
There are no small jobs in the fire service, only small bunker gear. No matter what the task that you are assigned, it is you purpose to get it done to the best of your ability. If you spend 2 years directing traffic at accidents, be the best flagger that you can. It might not be the most exciting, but the goal is to mitigate the situation. The guys with experience can not do their job effectively unless you do your job effectively. One day you will be the one extricating people, and you will want nothing but the best from the guy directing traffic for you.
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