Harrison Firefighters stay active, training and responding to calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Captain David Thompson explained the process of a new firefighter's first year.
Depending on the schedule for the next session at the Fire Academy, Thompson said the department likes to send their rookies with a lot of training already under their belts.
After learning how to put the gear and air packs on in under 30 seconds each, the rookie progresses to driving the firetrucks.
To most individuals, maneuvering a fire truck around traffic would be the job of an experienced firefighter. But the first job they give a new firefighter is learning to drive the different fire and rescue vehicles.
“Because we are a smaller department and driving is so important, we don’t have the luxury of having a full-time driver on every truck. So we need to make sure all the firefighters on every shift know how to do all the jobs. Driving and pumping is one of the hardest jobs, requiring a lot of responsibility. They have to make sure the guys inside the fire have the water they need to fight that fire. The whole crew’s lives are in the hands of that person. So we must start them on that job early.”
Thompson explained, “The trucks drive on a drive-train system. There are levers in the cab that have to be done in the proper order, which move the drive-train system to engage the pump. You must know which lever to pull to give that firefighter water, and how much force to provide them with. Pump calculations must be made, figuring out the diameter of the hose needed, how many feet are needed, and accounting for friction and the elevation gain or loss from the truck to the firefighter. There must be 100 PSI of water at the hose's nozzle.”
Seasoned firefighters spend much time explaining the math of operating valves, hoses, and fire hydrants before the rookies can fight the fire themselves.
The rookies also have time to adjust to their equipment and to feel comfortable moving around in the dark of the training structure.
“We want to prepare them for working in the dark and getting used to wearing the gear. We want them to be successful before they arrive at the Academy,” he said.
“We send them to the Academy in Camden, Arkansas, with as much experience and training as we can give them to boost their confidence and make Harrison look good.”
After 10 weeks in the Academy, they return to Harrison and immediately enroll in a semester of EMT Training, often a four-hour class for two nights a week while they are still on duty at the station.
Then, each new firefighter must have 50 hours of apparatus drive time and memorize all the town’s streets and fire hydrant locations. They must also know where each tool is in each apparatus. “Sometimes we are in situations where GPS doesn’t work well, so each firefighter has to know the exact route to take them to the correct block and address of the call.”
Brock Fountain is the newest firefighter on B shift. On Thursday morning, he was doing revolutions around the ladder truck. Thompson said, “He’s been to the Academy and EMT school. He’s signed off on the engines, and now we are working on the ladder truck.”
Typically, would a whole team be stabilizing the ladder truck?
“No, we are fighting the fire. It’s one person’s job to set up this truck. The rest of us are going to fight fire. He has to get each of the four sides stable and level. On a good day, only nine of us are on a shift. So we each have our job to do.”
Thompson added, “I do think it’s important to note that we run over 3,000 calls a year and attend numerous Public Relations events (being on hand at sporting events). And this is a real challenge to training a new guy. But we are committed to completing quality training while providing excellent service to the community.”
Fountain has been with the department for five months, and he’s already certified in many areas.
The department has recently accepted some new candidates for firefighters. Anyone interested in applying can complete an application online at HarrisonAR.gov or call 870-204-5394.