So... I just finished firefighter bootcamp today. I still have a few classes to go, but I now know 'just enough to get myself hurt' as our instructors say. I can honestly and unequivocally tell you that this is the hardest fucking thing I have ever done in my fucking life. (Also, one of the coolest.) They challenged me, ushed me to my breaking point, and then took me further. More than once, I asked myself... WTF am I doing here? Do I really want to do this? The answer was yes.

As you can tell by the topic, I felt like sharing the tale from beginning to present, which starts of with what's called a JRAT. (Job Related Agility Test.) You can find a close approximation of said event here. This is also called The toughest two minutes in sports. You'll see why when you check it out.

That gear weighs in at nearly 60 pounds. The "highrise pack" is 30-40 pounds. This is what he lifts onto his shoulder to carry up 4 flights of steps. After this, we get to haul a "doughnut roll" up those same 4 flights of steps with a hand-over-hand technique. Then its back to the highrise pack and down the steps to the "Kaiser sled" where you beat the living hell outta this sled with a sledge hammer. Proceed to the slallom where you pick up a charged line (full of water) and run back to knockdown the fire. And finally you drag a 200 lbs dummy about 50 yards. Believe me when I tell you, that after this, even people in reasonable shape can barely take off their gear because of extreme fatigue. (Reminder: This is all before you can even JOIN.)

We had 24 people go through orientation with me. Throughout the 14 week bootcamp many faces disappeared. However I promised you a 'day in the life'... Summer time in SC, especially inland, tends to get hot. It was 99 degrees today. (In bunker gear this means yer at 130 degrees... and this is all before you even get started.)

First up the almighty Bunker Drill.. If you don't have your bunker gear on in under 1 minute... you fail. You've just wasted 14 weeks of your life and your instructors time. (They tend not to like this.) If you fail bunker gear, you do not get to test on anything else. Period.

Next up ladder training. (video here) Although, to be honest, this guy is too slow. The instructors at Horry County would eat him alive. It is however, a good representation. After the ladder is deployed, you climb it quickly, but evenly and remove your unconscious victim from a window. (our vic must eat a lot of breads cause the fucker is damn near 220....)

finally it's fire attack and search/rescue in a live burn. The burn building has two levels. The first level is fire attack & the second is search.

This is a good representation of Search & Rescue except that in our building a fire is actually going like it would be in real life. AT THE FLOOR LEVEL, IT IS 220 F. I have blisters all over my damn knees. Mind you, this is burning through FOUR layers of fabric. You're assigned a partner & you enter together. You search rapidly, but thoroughly. Firefighter A leads one round, and then Firefighter B leads one round. These rounds are consecutive, there are no breaks. One air cyclinder will last you approximately 10/15 minutes with a heavy workout. (And they don't come any heavier than this.)

If you do not find your victim... you fail.

If you run out of air... you're "dead." You fail.

If you get seperated from your partner... you're dead. You fail.

If you lose your tool... you're dead. You fail.

Fire Attack is a little hotter. At floor level it's about 400 degrees... at ceiling level, it's damn near 1100 degrees. A charged line becomes heavier by the second... and God help you if you have to take that fucking thing up stairs on your hands and knees.

It's pitch black inside of the building. You can't see hands in front of your mask. The only thing you can hear is your own air cylinder breathing harder than Darth Vader. If your back up man fails to get you your hose in time, you feel like your heart is going to leap out of your chest and say "Fuck it... I'm outta here. Don't you know this is dangerous!?" After you locate and knock the fire down, you egress (literally crawl out backwards... never turn your back on fire.), your partner takes lead and you do it all over again. Although this time they've moved the fucking fire barrell on you because they think you've gotten complacent. When you're finished, you back out once again, you come off you're airpacks and you highfive because you made it out without hot coals lighting your ass on fire... not to mention, you just kicked it's ass.

When all was said and done, there were only 8 people left standing. I was one of them. When I looked around at my fellow 'probies', I saw a team of guys who may have come from different backgrounds, but were united by one simple fact; the dedication to save lives; the will to risk their bodies and minds in order to save other people's loved ones. And yes, while the things that I'm saying may be cliche, they are nonetheless true. Most people's worst nightmares are a day in the life of a firefighter.

So here's to me... I'm damn proud to call myself a 'probie' as of today. h34r:

Ps: Thanks to those who actually watched the videos and read that ginormous post.

Loved the thread Link!
Some interesting stuff......
It reminded me of when I was a Girl Scout leader,
and I took my troop to the fire station. We got a tour
and some firefighters talked with the girls and
answered questions. Then they brought out ALL THE GEAR.
They talked about it for awhile and then told us to try it on.
Well curiosity got the best of me,(and I'm like a big kid, still haven't grown up)
so of course, I tried it on.
I was amazed at how HEAVY it was, and so Hot. It felt very
claustraphobic!!! Just can't imagine wearing all that while
trying to fight a fire.

Such a noble profession, good luck, and stay safe.

I have heard a lot of the same. My father joined the firefighters from my local city about 10 years ago doing a bootcamp very similar. To his disadvantage he was in his mid 30's, everyone else in their 20's. Their biggest and final test was a day long event of those tests you mentioned but they started the day with a 10 mile run going to each of the cities fire stations. I cried for my father because he had completed all of this better than most of the younger ones.

And I totally agree about how tough the firefighter combat is. I have seen several firefighter combat challenges seeing multiple people at the department back home used to compete nationally and did rather well.

So congrats to you. I know it was a daunting task but your commitment to saving the lives of others will not go unnoticed. You have joined quite the brotherhood and as long as your focus stays you will do fine. You definitely have my respect.

We don't do 10 mi, but we do 2mi run & a "firefighter gone bad" regiment. At my heaviest, I was 330 pounds. (quite rotund)... I'm still a chubby prick, but I've lost 80 pounds and I'm still dropping. (No surgeries... good ol' fashion elbow grease) I really can't help but feel proud about what I've accomplished. My old man was a cop in DC for 25 years and retired from special operations (presidential/dignitary escorts & secret service tandem ops) but I was always more of a fire guy like my uncle. I appreciate the kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed some of the demonstration.

I read this a while ago and thought I had replied. Though I am a civil servant too, what you do is so much more meaningful to your life and others. The most selfless thing anyone can do is to put their life on the line for even a stranger, especially when the person(s) they are saving can not do the same for them self(ves)...

Found this online, hope you like:

It's awesome, thank you. ^_^ It's good times. I've had fun thus far, nothing overly dramatic. (Thank God.) What do you do?

I am an Application Developer, mostly maintaining a Comprehensive Project Service (which I won't even get started on explaining), but in small it maintains money spent for Highway and state projects, and records needed to go with....

We could use your services in Myrtle Beach. Due to a high volume of tourism, MB always has a road project or 10 in the works.

Well, if it was not for a disabled father, moving out of Kansas sounds like heaven, but my mother and him need me around.... Myrtle Beach looks awesome by the way, googled that is....



My typing can be so freaking horrible... lol

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