Sunday, May 09, 2004

News-Gazette reporter

Fire is a living, breathing animal, the fierce enemy of firefighters. To defend themselves and protect the community, firefighters emphasize safety, safety and safety. And safety can come only through training and teamwork.

Union City, Ohio Battalion Chief Mark Wright says firefighters have to stay at the top of their jobs and meet the highest standards, whether they are full-time paid firefighters or volunteers or something in between.

Wright adds, " We work for the community, and we take pride in our work."

Firefighters at all levels of service are becoming more professional, Wright says. He is an instructor in firefighting at Sinclair Community College near Dayton.

Ohio standards call for a new volunteer to have 36 hours of training, but Wright doesn't think that's nearly enough training. Sinclair's training equals 50 hours. The Union City, Ohio Fire Department offers training hours each year that exceed the state-requirements.

The local department's training is more than just watching a video, Wright says.

""We have to be proficient," he explains.

At Sinclair, Wright trains firefighters in the "flash-over container" that simulates six different settings so firefighters can learn to spot dangerous conditions.

Only experience can teach firefighters to spot flash-overs visually or through sound. Because protective gear can keep a firefighter from feeling excessive heat, he has to be able to spot danger with his eyes or ears.

"I love it," Wright says of this training experience.

Wright and Josh Spradling are two of the 14 Darke County people who serve as instructors in emergency services at Sinclair.

"We're not just teaching them to operate and drive equipment," Wright says. "We are teaching them how to do a job after they get to the scene."

Sinclair requires all firefighters to experience a live burn before they are certified. The college has a seven-story practice burn building and a brand new state-of-the-art two-and-a-half story burn building going up. Sinclair's training operates out of Dayton's training center and uses a company and three engines.

Wright says Sinclair's class is one of the top programs in the country.

Statistics show there are fewer fires every year, because of prevention efforts and more new houses. But firefighter fatalities are increasing every year, so training becomes more critical every year. Last year 110 firefighters lost their lives on the job.

Firefighter survival training is even more strenuous than regular firefighting class, Wright says. Survival techniques are used only as a last resort, whenever things are going bad quickly. Among other last-ditch techniques, firefighters learn to use a rope to escape without a ladder, or, in the case of a quick exit, head-first, hand-walking down a ladder.

Wright says Union City is fortunate to have two fire departments, and those two departments are beginning to do more training together.

Teamwork is a second component of safety, equal to the importance of training. Teamwork extends beyond the firefighters themselves to their families and their employers.

Wright says local employers are very good about letting workers answer an emergency when necessary, and some employers even keep their firefighters on the clock while they're gone.

"Spouses and kids are part of the team because their firefighting spouses and parents are gone so much," Wright explains. "We get a lot of moral support from families for us to help keep the community safe."

Safety, training, and teamwork - that's what firefighters live by.

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