Firefighters have been around for hundreds of years. Whenever there was a risk of a fire affecting the lives of individuals or families, there has been a need for firefighters.
Children look up to them, adults respect them, and they are the glue that keep many communities together. From holding safety seminars and participating in community events, to assisting medical responders at car accidents and house fires, firefighters are a very important part of any community.
Those are the events we as residents of communities see them at, but what happens behind the scenes?
I have wanted to try out a day (or more) with the fire department since the first house fire I covered in September of 2008.
The typical person knows they are busy individuals, but only sees what happens behind the scenes from films, which we all know is usually an over-the-top representation of the truth.
I got my chance on Aug. 9, which was the first of two 24-hour shifts I get to participate in for the Airdrie City View’s day-to-day life of a firefighter series.
I arrived at the Chinook Winds fire station just before 8 a.m. and was greeted by shift Captain Mike Pirie.
Pirie is a wealth of knowledge, one of the most well-spoken firefighters I have ever dealt with.
I started my morning accompanying Captain Pirie on the morning routine of an Airdrie firefighter.
The first thing a firefighter does when he comes into the hall is become accountable. It’s a very simply system, you have two tags on your helmet, one you place on a Velcro strip in the truck, the other stays on your helmet. This system allows any other responders to know who showed up on one truck and if they are accounted for.
After that, each truck is inspected to ensure it has all the necessary equipment. With four major apparatus in the Chinook Winds station, and the amount of equipment each carries, that’s a lot of stuff. On Mondays, each truck is ‘deep’ cleaned from head to toe.
I helped Captain Pirie check a truck, and then moved on to the next task.
I was assigned to a three-man crew made up of Lieutenant Paulo Pelucci, firefighter Jim Barnett and firefighter Cale Fedinew, also known as Pizza, Jimmy, and Medium Size. They started working out after their morning inspections were done. Captain Pirie said physical fitness is something firefighters take seriously in Airdrie, with peer fitness trainers developing custom routines for each crew.
While the Airdrie Fire Department will respond to any call at any time of day, it also plans activities. On Aug. 9 an event was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at Walmart, and firefighters assisted the Calgary Police Service, Airdrie RCMP and Municipal Enforcement with a Special Olympics fundraiser.
Using a 105-foot ladder, the department delivered two Airdrie RCMP and Municipal Enforcement officers, carrying a Special Olympics torch, to a small tower for a four-day ‘Free the Fuzz’ event, where residents donate money to “free” the officer from the tower.
Instead of heading straight to the next task, we stuck around Walmart for about a half hour, giving children tours of the truck and sending them home with colouring books and other Airdrie Fire Department memorabilia.
After that, we headed back to the hall to change trucks and grab a sandwich. After a quick lunch, it was off to Station 87 on Main Street for some vehicle extrication training. That means cutters and spreaders! (Commonly known to residents as the Jaws of Life.)
During the training session, the tones went off for a vehicle collision cleanup in our coverage area, which meant our engine had to respond. However, since our truck did not have the supplies needed to clean up the mess, we requested Engine 88 respond to the call before we even got there.
Once the training was done, I had the opportunity to make the last couple cuts removing a roof off of a truck. It was a really cool experience, but I can’t imagine doing it in a stressful situation involving an injured individual, or in the middle of the night or a snowstorm.
One of the very few aspects shown accurately in Hollywood, is that firefighters eat dinner together.
I think this is a very important thing to do for a group responsible for the safety of the public. It gives the firefighters a chance to connect and chat about life away from the hall.
In preparation for the meal, we headed to grocery store, grabbing spinach, chicken and strawberries for a delicious and nutritious dinner salad.
As soon as we got back to the hall the tones went off again for commercial alarms ringing outside of our coverage area. Because it was a fire alarm, we responded with 89 Tower. We were asked to stand down about halfway to the destination, as the alarm was deemed false.
After cleaning the hall and eating, it was time to suit up in full gear, a breathing apparatus, breaching tool and helmet and run a scenario drill.
I was excited about the experience, but as soon as I climbed the stairs, I was nervous, and without air supply to my mask, it was a bit hard to breathe.
If strapping on the equipment and getting on my hands and knees to go through an obstacle course wasn’t enough, I did it all blindfolded.
I had to crawl along a hose, breach through a wall with 16 inch on centre studs, navigate a simulated basement with wires made to entangle a firefighter and then drag a 110-pound dummy about 10 feet.
The entire process was extremely labour intensive, but I completed it. I was even told I did a good job from the firefighters. I was proud.
But then I put my foot in my mouth. I figured because I was able to navigate the obstacle course, I would be able to hit the gym and see how a firefighter works out. Little did I know, the obstacle course was about 25 per cent the length of a normal course, and I was in for a surprise in the gym.
We put together a short workout, aimed at explosive power including bench presses, rows, dead lifts and sled pulls. I didn’t have too many problems with the first three items on the workout, but as soon as the backwards sled pull came up, I was in trouble.
Growing up riding BMX bikes and playing hockey, I have plenty of power in my legs… but apparently the front of my quads, the vastus medialis, needs some work. After the exercise, I was wiped, in fact I nearly passed out.
After the workout, we relaxed. The hall was clean, everyone was fed, trucks were ready to go and gear was laid out. After a quick shower, we watched a movie while chatting over the day, and how the lack of calls did not slow the amount of things accomplished during those hours.
I hate to admit it now, but after a few hours of no calls, and a workout that nearly made me puke, I had to pack it in. I had a dorm set up for me, but I was a little concerned that my level of energy would hamper my ability to get to the truck in the middle of the night. I was beat, but I was quickly realizing that while we see the frontline work the fire department does, these individuals are professionals, who work incredibly hard behind the scenes to provide the services they do.
I headed home, but I will be prepared for my second shift on Aug. 22. Stay tuned, we might just get a call this time.
