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Driver's training for voluteers.
What training, other that the required hours of drivers training, do you think a volunteer should have before being allowed to drive the big fire trucks?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Bolster on
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Evoc, Pump ops, and countless hours of driver training
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Permalink Reply by JOHN P. KISELAK Sr. [JP] on
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I AM A FORMER VOLWITH 23+ YEARS OF SERVICE. I ALSO DROVE A 18 WHEELER FOR 42 YEARS AND I FEEL SOME TYPE OF TRAINING SHOULD BE GIVEN. MOST GUYS AND GIRLS IN THE FIRE SERVICE DRIVE CARS AND PICK UP TRUCKS AND THE FIRE APPARATUS REACT TOTTALLY DIFFERENT.THE WEIGHT THE LENGTH EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT. I DO NOT ,I REPEAT, DO NOT FEEL THEY NEED A CDL . WE ARE VOLS WE DO NOT GET PAID BUT WE DO NEED GOOD DRIVER TRAINING.
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Permalink Reply by Chief 29 on
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All drivers whether they are driving a pov with lights or the first due engine or a rescue truck should have a minimum of EVOC. I feel if you want to drive an engine or tanker you should also have pump operations 1 & 2 as well as at least entry level firefighting certification. There is no better driver/operator to have at the pump panel than one that has an understanding of what is going on at the other end of that line that they are supplying.
If they are looking to drive a rescue or utility I feel the same way as far as the basic training. If driving a rescue to an MVA you should at least basic vehicle rescue.
To put it simple it all comes down to training. Who cares if you get the rig there if you don't know what to do with it when you get it there, or what equipment is on the rig and were it's at on the rig. I have spent the majority of my career so far behind the wheel of all types of apparatus with the exception of a ladder truck due to the fact that my company does not have one. With that being said I even have taken aerial operations, just for the knowledge of what the operator of those rigs need on the scene to do what they will be expected to do.
With the training and experience I have behind me I feel it helps me as an officer now just knowing the In's and outs of the apparatus and what it takes to get them to the scene and use them when they get there. Good operators are rare as well as safe one's. Remember you are being called upon to solve a problem so don't become part of the problem by being unsafe behind the wheel. -
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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Actually Jenny, CDL laws differ from state to state. Most states requirer that you have CDL's for any vehicle wieghing over 26,ooo pounds or having air brakes. That includes Semi's, dump trucks, R.V.'s and even those huge expensive international pickup trucks.
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Andrea, I am a firm believer in needing CDL's for the larger trucks. I drive a F-750 utility truck at my day job, obeying all traffic laws and speed limits. I drive this truck every day usually pulling a backhoe or other piece of equipment and have to have CDL's. Now you have Joe the fireman drives a Nissan Altima to his job every day as a store clerk, a call comes in and he drives to the station gets in the truck with minamal experiance. Truck has air brakes wieghs 30,000 pounds and is considrably longer and wider than most vehicles. Joe can legally (in most states) drive this vehicle,that he/she drives maybe once a week more likely once a month with no state guidelines 10 miles over the posted speed limit. Granted no firefighters dont need a full blown class a but maybe their could be a nationaly reconized firefighter endorsment. Yes I know I will cath hell over this but to many of us are killed in crashes. We need all the training for safety and all the certifications to protect us from the money hungry public. Here is a discussion that might give you some ideas. http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/889755:Topic:2922679 hope that helps. Stay safe
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Permalink Reply by FIRE BEAR on
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when i was liveing in michigan and on a station truck driveing had to be taken during fire 1-2 then you had a state exam to take then a test at your station also
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Permalink Reply by Rob on
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I have seen departments who's driver training is anything from first day on the job start driving to calls up to you do not have the right to even get behind the wheel till you have been there 1 year.
As for the place I am at now, we are trying to implement the state's new required driver training program with some resistance. Yes, I said resistance to a required program. It is 16 hours of classroom initally and 8 hours of annual refresher with a cone course and road course on every piece you will be driving annually plus 8 hours of documented driving time on each piece each year. Do I think this is enough, NO! (for newbies) We have one guy who went through the EVOC as part of his Lvl I class and now thinks he can do it all! This kid if so new the ink is still wet on his card. DO I think everyone needs to be on 1 year before you start driver training, no, but some should certainly NEVER be driver/operators (or at least should wait a very long time before they do).
I see a mention of a simulator, that would be great, but probably cost prohibitive for most smaller departments.
Rob -
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Permalink Reply by Bill Brierton on
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Fire Fighter 1, possibly Fire Fighter 2, EMT, EVOC, pumps, 100 hours or miles non emergency driving and knowing your first due, and know where every piece of equipment is on the engine. If you can't pump you shouldn't drive. If you don't know where you're going you shouldn't drive. If you don't know where something is or what it does then you shouldn't drive.
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Permalink Reply by brass noz on
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I've driven the simulator's and their nice but a little different from the real thing,The real thing is still the best but the Sim's cheaper when you have a mishap.
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I agree with there should be training before someone can drive me im from michigan but i just moved to new york in michigan i had to have driver training in fire 1&2 plus 20 hours at the dept before i ot cerified at my station and pas 2 tests 1 state and 1 dept here in new york all a person needs is 10 hours at my station and its not easy to do cause all the guys here want to drive the trucks but ill go 1 step further not only should the person need to be a safe driver but that person also needs to know how to pump the truck to im a cert driver and cert on pumps ops to and here a person will drive cause they can and then not have time on the pumps this to me goes hand in hand with driveing
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Permalink Reply by Lt. Ballinger on
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Our dept requires a class "B" Non CDL license. Referred to as a FF's license at the DMV's in Illinois. Then each officer has their own requirements based off of the dept guidelines. For example to drive the engine at my station you drive and pump during trainings for a couple of months, then move to driving and pumping car fires, dumpsters, or fire alarms with an experienced engineer and officer on the truck. The engineer or the officer stays by your side at all times. Then you move onto driving for structures with an officer or experienced engineer with you. Once you have driven and pumped a couple of structure fires with multiple handlines or a handline and supply line to another engine or the tower, you are then moved onto driving on your own for dumpsters and fire alarms then to structures on your own. Depending on how quick of a learner the new driver is, it can take a year or more to get them completely trained. During that time most officers will throw everything imaginable at them from turning their hydrant off during training or having their supply truck slowly shut down their supply or raise and lower their incoming pressure to make them have to compensate. The tower I put them through all that and even more with set up of the outriggers and every possible scenario I can think of. My crew had given me the nickname of "Lt. %$shole" when it comes to training them but they all admit it teaches them to watch the pump panel and what is happening around the truck at all times.
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