Every day we read about firefighters that take extraordinary risk, make split second decisions, and operate in a world that can be hard to recognize from behind a keyboard or an article in the newspaper. These firefighters are not cowboys or reckless, some are well trained and loaded with experience and others are newer to the job. They all have one thing in common, they found themselves in a position where they had to make a decision, a choice to risk their life to try and save another (“Firefighting According To Pirate Rules” on Backstep Firefighter).

Last week a graduation was held for the 189th Recruit Class from the Massachusetts Fire Academy. These recruits had just completed 504 hours of training conducted by some 60 odd instructors. While well trained, they now have to go gain their experience, to learn how to mix their training into the real world and their department’s operations.

It is during this period of time, the transition from probie to firefighter, that they will learn that the academy cannot prepare them for every situation. This is not an attack on their training at all, those 504 hours are irreplaceable as far as training goes. This statement is more of an acceptance of the fact that each fire we see, we are seeing for the first time. Everything from time of day, to construction, to contents, to occupancy, to the weather will offer us a different fire each time we respond. It is this fact alone that makes this job so dangerous and requires every firefighter to be “tuned in” to what is happening around them.

Read the rest here:  http://backstepfirefighter.com/2010/12/23/broken-rulesbacksteps-dav...