Rookie Firefighter

The Right Footwear

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For many volunteer firefighters tennis shoes seem to be the norm. Athletic-type shoes may be comfortable, but for safety and clean-ability firefighters really need to wear a tactical style boot, commonly called station boots or duty boots. They don’t have to be steel toed, just make sure they have non-slip soles and the outside can be cleaned regularly.

What to look for in footwear:

  • Deep tread/non-slip sole
  • Puncture proof bottom
  • Hard toe to protect from dropped items (steel toe isn’t necessary)
  • Water resistant
  • Above the ankles for better support and protection
  • Quick to put on

I started off with some just over the ankle, slip on boots. While they were quick to get on and off, plus had the safety features mentioned above, they started to quickly tear up around the tops from the frequency of me pulling them on and off. I still have these boots, but now use them as a back-up.

Most of the volunteers I work with wear station boots or tennis shoes, but there was this one time when it was a stormy night and we all got soaking wet just running from our cars to the station. Well, on this particular night one of our firefighters showed up to the station in crocs. Several people teased him about his choice of foot-wear, and while he admitted it was a poor choice on his part, he said he grabbed the crocs in a hurry wanting to keep tennis shoes dry.

So, what footwear should volunteer firefighters wear?

My absolute favorite boots are 8” tactical side zip boots. They’re durable and  easy to scrub clean (ashes, blood, mud, you name it). The zippered sides also mean they’re quick to get on which is perfect when you get called out in the middle of the night. I’ve posted links below to two different brands, but there are several to choose from.

If you are still in the mood to want to wear something besides station boots, take a look at the list below.

  • Tennis shoes – these are fine for an EMS assist and okay around the station, depending on what type of work you’ll be doing. Be prepared to wash them frequently.
  • Rain/mud boots – work well for many situations, but can be difficult to squat & bend in. (I personally feel if the mud is that deep its probably best to put on turn-out pants and firefighting boots.)
  • Cowboy boots – while these are durable, easy to clean, and will protect your feet, their lack of tread on the bottom can be a safety issue when climbing on trucks and ladders.
  • Firefighting boots – these should stay with your turnout pants. If the scene you’re on needs turnout pants, then wear the turnout boots. (Not to mention firefighting boots are heavy and you won’t want to wear them longer than needed.)
  • Crocs, flip-flops, sandals, dress shoes, etc. Just don’t. Seriously. Not only are these a safety hazard (spills, slips, dropped items, broken glass, and so on) they don’t look professional. Keep a spare pair of tennis shoes or boots in your vehicle to change into as needed.

-Rookie ?

Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that when you click links and purchase items, in many (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links is much appreciated. -Rookie

Decent Flashlights

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After my first house fire, I realized right away I needed to have a good flashlight. Sure, there are flashlights on all the trucks, but as a volunteer I frequently arrive POV (personal owned vehicle). Having a reliable flashlight comes in handy when getting out of your vehicle and walking to the scene in the dark. Roadside hazards are numerous and include everything from drainage ditches and chunks of concrete, to fallen limbs, forgotten shoes, and ant hills. Trust me you really don’t want to show up on a scene dancing and ripping your boots and socks off because you walked through an ant hill.

I have both of these flashlights:

Ozark Trail Flashlight, 250 Lumens


ThruNite Archer Tactical LED Flashlight, 200 Lumens

The smaller one (ThruNite) I keep in the pocket of my reflective jacket. The larger one (Ozark Trail) is with my go bag in the trunk of my car. (More about my go bag at a later time.)

This is another really great flashlight. We have this one at home and use it regularly.
J5 Tactical V1-PRO 300 Lumen Ultra Bright Flashlight

Stay safe out there!
-Rookie ?

Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that when you click links and purchase items, in many (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links is much appreciated. -Rookie

 

Feeling Overwhelmed

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My feelings about the fire department after the first month are a mixture of inadequacy and excitement. There’s a large volume to learn and I’m overwhelmed by my sheer lack of knowledge. Sometimes just following along with the conversations around me can be difficult when I don’t understand the vocabulary, the acronyms, or the slang terminology.

The excitement hasn’t faded though. I love getting a page, no matter what time of day it is. There’s just something about dropping everything to go help someone that makes me want to do it over and over again. I’m not yet much help at all. I still have to ask where anything and everything is, and I frequently feel like I’m in the way.

For now I’ve shoved these overwhelming feelings to the back of my brain. I’ve decided to focus on learning all that I can about the trucks. I need to learn their unit numbers and their uses (rescue, tanker, pumper, brush trucks, etc.). I also need to learn what equipment is stored in each compartment over the upcoming weeks.

Keeping my chin up,
-Rookie ?

Check out this shirt:

Did you miss my Day 1  Meeting Night post?
Also, follow me on Facebook and never miss a post.

Affiliate Disclosure: Please note when you click links and purchase items, in many (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links is much appreciated. -Rookie

First Time on Scene – House Fire

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A few days after being on the Active911 system, our department was paged out to a residential structure fire. I hit “responding” on the app on my phone, then I called the assistant chief so someone would know I was responding to the call. (Talking to one of the officers immediately after the page not only lets them know I’m responding to the call, but also allows me to get further instructions if needed. If I wait too late to call I’ve been told they won’t answer their cell phone because they’re driving. They’ll speak on the radio of course, but alas I haven’t been issued one yet since I’m still so new.)

As I drove out to the location of the house fire I was looking for any signs of smoke or emergency lights in the dark night. I didn’t have any reason to worry about finding the house though, because as I came around the last curve there was a huge orange glow in the night sky. I carefully parked on the side of the road and left my hazard lights on so any passing motorists would see my car.

The house was fully engulfed in flames and according to witnesses there was no one inside. I checked-in with the incident commander and he immediately gave me an assignment. From that point on when I wasn’t using a flashlight to keep a visual check on our firefighters attacking the fire on the side of the house, I was swapping out air bottles when they returned to the truck low on air.

Once the fire was under control I began filling out the report with the homeowner’s information. It felt a bit uncomfortable to be asking questions of someone who had just watched their house burn, yet it was a necessary part of the job.

Once the fire was completely out we began overhaul. I was able to practice using the fire hose to hit a few hot spots that were still smoking heavily. Then the incident commander showed me how to tell which direction the fire had spread and where the fire had the highest heat. Afterwards I was taught how to disconnect, drain, and roll up the hoses we had used. The used hoses were dirty so they all went on the back of the truck to be washed back at the station.

Top things I learned on this call:

  • Never, ever, no matter how dark the road is, leave your hazard lights on in your personal vehicle at a scene. Just make sure your vehicle is parked completely off the road. Whether you’re there 1 hour or 3+ your battery won’t have enough of a charge to start the car. My battery needed a jump off to be able to go to the station and it was quite embarrassing, to say the least.
  • Always have a flashlight on you. Several of us were sharing flashlights from the truck, so we made do, but having one of my own would’ve been helpful.
  • When rolling hoses, always roll the male end on the inside.

Once back at the station we had to wash the dirty hoses and put clean hoses back on the truck. Then we all grabbed snacks and drinks, and sat around chatting to unwind after the call.

Until next time,
-Rookie ?

This is my favorite small flashlight because it’s super bright and fits easily in a pocket.

If you’re looking for something larger for your vehicle, this light is rechargeable and works great.

Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that when you click links and purchase items, in many (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. Your support in purchasing through these links is much appreciated. -Rookie

Firefighters and Nicknames

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I can understand why a big guy would be called Tiny, but why do some firefighters have multiple nicknames? There’s one firefighter with our department who actually has FIVE names: Peanut, Junior, Robert, Rob, & RJ. (*names changed to protect the innocent, or guilty… however you’d like to see it). Robert and Rob totally make sense, but can’t we all just call him Rob? Apparently not. Some people call him Peanut, others call him Rob, while still others call him Junior or RJ. As a rookie, this left me with having to ask him what he’d like me to call him. (He said Peanut was fine.) Even now occasionally someone will say something about Robert and I’m certain I must give them a blank stare for a few seconds before I make the mental connection they’re talking about Peanut.

Are you wondering if I have a nickname? I do.
Oh, you thought I’d share what it is? Yeah, not going to happen. It’s not widely known at the department and I plan to keep it that way. 😉

-Rookie ?

Affiliate Disclosure: Please note when you click links and purchase items, in many (not all) cases I will receive a referral commission at no additional cost to you. Your support in purchasing through these links is much appreciated. -Rookie

Day 1 – My First Meeting

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Walking up to the fire station for the first time was a bit intimidating, even for me. I only knew one person there, but saw around six people standing in front of the bay doors. The firefighter I knew warmly greeted me and then introduced me to everyone. There was a mixture of nicknames and real names, and afterwards I was left thinking, ‘Who is the chief?’

Once the meeting began I was able to figure out who the chief was easily based on who was doing most of the talking. Plus once I was sitting facing him I could see his shirt said Chief in small print under the volunteer fire department (VFD) logo. Funnily enough, no one referred to him as “Chief”, they all simply called him by his first name or his nickname (which is how I was introduced to him). Maybe this is the norm, but it seems odd to me. *shrug*

The meeting was a bit chaotic, though one of the firefighters tried to keep everyone on the task at hand. They discussed things like ISO, SCBA, and NFPA (though I had heard of SCBAs before, I planned to research the others later on.) I also made a mental note to research how VFD are typically funded in our state to get a better understanding of the big picture for future meetings.

-Rookie ?