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Pitboss Lecture Series - America's Bravest

MHBDemon said:
Some pics from my fire academy. Last night we did dumpster, car and propane tank fire simulations.
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LP gas school was one of the most fun classes I ever took, along with the ARFF training. The hissing of the gas releasing is a sound you'll never forget.

We burned an abandoned house a few weeks back, and someone had thrown a few camping propane cylinders in the root cellar unbeknownst to us. They hissed then let off a massive bleve. Second time I've been near a bleve, the other was a structure fire that lit off a 20lb propane tank. We had calls about that from 5 miles away.

Have you done Haz-Mat yet? Usually that is saved for last, but terrifying fun.
 
Haz-Mat training was big in military. It was challenging but it made it fun.
 
tsywake said:
You'll never pass a container truck on the interstate the same after. It's crazy what travels the roads around us each and every day.
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and now some of them are being driven by robots
 
Thursday was search and rescue. Instructors were assholes. Knees are fucked. Yesterday we did vehicle extrication and practiced hose line operations. Another grueling day on the body. Carrying charged hose line up stairs is a bitch. Today is Hazmat lecture so body gets a break.
 
Is the gear you're wearing just for the academy, or will it be your on duty gear? We started getting gear with knee padding a few years back and it was a game changer.
 
@tsywake im not hired on to a dept yet, so I’m renting gear from the academy. They have knee pads for us to use, but they have still rubbed skin off and knees are still swollen. Probably still better off than I would have been without them.

The experience has been great. Before the academy, i still had moments of doubt, like “wtf am i doing?” But seeing how i have been able to do everything that others have been doing, or even seeing guys already hired on places struggle with things, has given me a confidence boost that i can do this if I keep learning and working hard.
 
I’m way out of the game but just remember to pay attention to details. I have enjoyed following your journey.
 
We had to pass the written tests before they'd even let us take the practicals. There were some that took the class, didn't pass, and missed out on the fun part.
 
Hazmat Ops was the hardest test. I think if there is one I don't pass, it would be that one.

@tsywake it seems like a lot of firefighters are hobbyists and historians. I plan to watch the PBS documentary about the OK City Bombing, as we watched a bit of it in class. We also watched videos about the Boston Marathon bombings, Love Canal, and various other fertilizer explosions.

One of the things that appeals to me is the wide range of specializations you can choose from. Did you find yourself gravitating towards certain areas? As a volunteer, did you usually have to cover your own costs for any specialty trainings? or was there money available for such things? I really like vehicle extrication, and ropes and knots. The community college teaches a weekend knots course I might enroll in.

Also, did you ever get into teaching? I think eventually, after I have gained some experience, I would enjoy teaching.
 
@MHBDemon NC is actually really good when it comes to 1st Responder Education. Certified classes are taught through the Community College system, and are free of charge if you are a member of an accredited department or squad. Additionally, there are weekend fire colleges around the state where you can take additional certified specialty classes. Those have a fee, but my FD covers the class fee, food, and hotel stay.

Your interest sounds like you're gravitating more towards the Rescue side of firefighting. Most municipal departments have devoted rescue units as part of their fleet. In rural areas, there are often rescue squads who do nothing but rescue activities, whereas the FD handles firefighting. As an example, when we are dispatched to a vehicle accident, FD, Rescue Squad, and an EMS unit are all dispatched. We typically arrive first on scene and communicate if there is an entrapment or entanglement. If none are present, the Rescue Squad cancels their response. We do carry minimal rescue equipment, and are trained in rescue, but typically only use the equipment to stabilize the vehicle and assist the squad on extrication upon their arrival.
 
The Emergency Response Guide from the Department of Transportation is your friend for HazMat.
 
I had an app on my phone from FEMA that was restricted to just first responders. Like, tied to a specific phone level app. It was a few phones ago, but was basically the ERG in electronic form. It'd use Google maps to show you blast and evac diameters, and response guidelines. While riding passenger past various big rigs, I'd see what they were carrying and how big a boom was possible of they crashed. Morbid, but a fun way to pass the time. I'll ask my hazmat instructor the name of the app, he's the one who introduced me to it.
 
tsywake said:
I had an app on my phone from FEMA that was restricted to just first responders. Like, tied to a specific phone level app. It was a few phones ago, but was basically the ERG in electronic form. It'd use Google maps to show you blast and evac diameters, and response guidelines. While riding passenger past various big rigs, I'd see what they were carrying and how big a boom was possible of they crashed. Morbid, but a fun way to pass the time. I'll ask my hazmat instructor the name of the app, he's the one who introduced me to it.
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The basic ERG is readily available. What made your app special was tying the Guides to Google Maps to give first responders location-specific guidance.
 
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