Training in the Volunteer Fire Service

My time as a dedicated volunteer firefighter has been the experience of a lifetime. It has taken a lot of hard
work, dedication, and time, but most of all, training. The key to any good
firefighter, is training. Training amongst volunteer departments and full –
time departments varies greatly, and I believe that the training within the
volunteer departments needs to be pushed more. A few of the reasons is health,
expanding your knowledge, and gaining experience.

For one, health is a major concern to any one being, but when it comes to firefighting, risking your life to put it on the line for
another can be stressful. This is why health is very important. Firefighters
need lots of cardio workouts and a tremendous amount of exercise, especially
lifting weights to build muscle. Without health training, a firefighter’s
physical ability to perform his or her duties may fail them and injure him or
herself or even their partner and can also be considered a liability to the
department. Many heart attacks have been noticed due to unhealthy firefighters
and their lack of training. Fatigue has also been greatly noticed within the
smaller or volunteer departments. Smaller departments do not have their own
fitness or workout programs, nor do they even have their own equipment to use
at their stations. I remember asking my chief if we could start a program at
our department, but because of insurance purposes it was a no. So I tried to
see if maybe we could go to a gym and become a member and the department would
pay for it; I asked him this because the bigger full – time departments do have
memberships to a gym.

As for expanding knowledge, it is just as important as your health. Firefighting may seem like it just comes to people but its best for them to go by the books. A lot of reading is involved and it needs to be expanded upon during your time as a firefighter. Re-certifying for CPR and AED every two years, as well as Hazardous Materials every year; this is crucial
because of the continuous change of the economy’s demand for technology.
Especially the newer cars, there are so many hidden places for airbags now a
days and the materials of the car parts are fiberglass and or plastics and not
much metal is left. This is important because we will need to know what we will
be cutting into and we will need to know which tool will be the best for the
job; to get done in a timely manner and still be efficient. As an EMT or
emergency medical technician, he or she is required by state law to obtain 120 hours
of continuing education hours per year so they can still keep their license and
still perform all tasks at 100%.

When it comes to gaining experience, even though your health and knowledge are vital, this is the most important. Without being
healthy and without the knowledge you will get nowhere in the experience part.
Experience is using what you know and what you have learned from your textbooks,
while trying to obtain any of his or her many certifications. Unless you
experience a house fire, car fire, accident, or unstable patient on a medical
call, you honestly have no idea why it is essential to use what you have
learned in the classroom. I have learned to live by the motto, “work hard, play
even harder.” This is an excellent motto to live by while training as a
volunteer firefighter. By working hard while training you will end up working
even harder out in the field and your odds will tremendously increase when it
comes to being experienced. I cannot stress enough how much training really
means to a firefighter. Being in the classroom all the time doesn’t necessarily
get you anywhere. Any and all firefighters need the hands on training,
otherwise they will not know what to expect when an incident like that were to
ever happen in real life.

In conclusion, I know what it is like to train as a firefighter, as being certified in multiple areas myself. It is very tough and
demanding at times, but that’s why it is necessary to be trained and trained
properly. In the end, training can be so rewarding at times. Smaller volunteer
departments have decided to select a training officer to help build their
department to become better by being healthier, more knowledgeable, and
experienced. When it comes to volunteer firefighters and training, I believe
that you should also feel strongly about this. Who knows maybe one day some
firefighter may attempt to save your life but because of the lack of training
he or she may be incapable of performing his or her duties.