By: Alionie Georges
Fire Chief Tim Grams (left) and Lieutenant Spencer Rowe (Center) stand at the fire drill compound clearing. The Statesboro Fire Department holds its own internal recruiting school to join their station.
Here stands the compound in which the recruits and senior firefighters will be conducting this training fire drill. To complete this training around 13-22 varying levels of firefighters and medics must be present to safely run this program.
Joseph Nelson (left), Hayden Futch (left center), Rasaad Walker (center), Tykee Mack (center right), and Dalton Harden (right) converse before the fire training drill. Only 1 in 3 candidates make it in after academic training, physical training, mental training, and a one-year probational period.
Recruit Joseph Nelson gears up with fellow recruits before the fire training drill. Firefighters must gear up in up to one minute, preferably 30 seconds to make it to their call as soon as possible.
The geared-up recruits walk to their positions to start their training. The 6 recruits are divided into two groups, as they have to practice reaching the fire from the first level of the compound to the second level of the compound.
The first group of recruits enter from the second level of the training compound. The recruits have to extinguish the fire on the second level and exit to safety on the first level of the training compound.
Firefighter Jacob Davidson and Firefighter Valian Lyte help maneuver the hose inside the compound. While the recruits extinguish the fire inside, senior firefighters remain close to guide recruits and monitor the fire.
Firefighter David Auschwitz leans out of the compound window after the fire is extinguished to breathe in fresh oxygen away from the smoke. Some veteran firefighters remain within the compounds for longer periods to make sure the fire is completely extinguished, just to spark the fire alive again a few moments later.
Recruit Travares Coombs (left) and Firefighter Dylan Auschwitz (right) quickly remove their turnout gear. Firefighter suits, although designed to protect against extreme heat, can also hold a lot of heat as well.
Firefighter Auschwitz (left) debriefs the recruits Travares Coombs (center), Tykee Mack (center right), and Hayden Futch (right) on what went wrong in the compound and how to improve their reactions to the fire. Fires can be unpredictable, debriefing allows for the firefighters to improve their reaction time and extinguish fires at a faster rate.
Recruit Dalton Harden exchanges his Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), before the next round of training. SCBA cylinders must be regularly changed as they provide a limited supply of breathable air when extinguishing fires.
Inspector John Patterson is on standby near the fire truck and fire hydrant. Inspector Patterson mans the water supply for the drills to be executed successfully.
Recruit Hayden Futch leans on the railing to catch his breath. All the firefighters and recruits need to regulate their breathing once they exit the compound because if they do not they can end up fainting due to lack of oxygen in the 92-degree weather of the day.
Recruits lean on each other to catch their breaths after promptly exiting the compound. Common signs of lack of oxygen to the brain and overheating are dizziness, lightheadedness, and seeing "stars".
Inspector John Patterson conducts hydrant flushing to extinguish the final fire of the fire training drills of the day. On average the water from the fire hydrant can travel through the hose at speeds ranging from 100 to 300 feet per second.
Interim Captain Ryan Marrow packs up his gear for the end of the fire training drill. Out of the varying 13-22 firefighters on site, two captains and two senior firefighters remained at the back of the compound where they had full sight of the active drills in session.
Recruit Tykee Mack manually squeezes water through the hose. Although there is no more active water traveling through the hose, remnants of water remain trapped inside the hose and must be flushed out for the firefighters to roll and pack up the hose onto the fire truck.
Firefighter Valiant Lyte (left) and Junior Firefighter Zayn Williams (right) help fold and store away water hose. The total of gear and equipment on a standard firetruck can be over 100 pieces.
FAO Spencer Johnson gets a call from the Statesboro High School. After the drills, the crew returned to their respective stations and almost immediately got a call, which according to the crew at the fire station rarely happens when there is a ride-along.
