Craig Daily Press / Rookie firefighters start training with fire behavior

Archive for Monday, February 8, 2010

Dennis Jones, Craig Fire/Rescue battalion chief, asks new recruits about the class of fire illustrated on the screen Saturday during a fire behavior class for rookies at the Craig Fire Station. Six rookies attended the class as part of their initial training.

By Nicole Inglis

February 8, 2010

Photo by Shawn McHugh

Dennis Jones, Craig Fire/Rescue battalion chief, quizzes new recruits Saturday during a fire behavior class for rookies at the Craig Fire Station. The six rookies will go through a year of classes and training before they become full-fledged firefighters.

It was about 5 a.m. several years ago when Dennis Jones and the rest of the Craig Fire/Rescue crew arrived at a burning vacant house.

Jones, now a battalion chief with the fire department, remembered the incident with instant recall.

The windows were stained with smoke, and every once in a while the eaves of the house would emit puffs of smoke as if the fire was breathing.

One of the rooms in the house almost was airtight, causing a dangerous fire behavior called backdraft.

“If we had opened a door or anything, we would have had an explosion,” Jones said Saturday morning as he talked to a group of rookie firefighters. “That’s when we engage our brains.”

On Saturday at the Craig Fire Station, Jones used his memories and wealth of experience to describe fire behavior, or the science behind flames, to six rookie firefighters.

It was the first fire training the rookies had after taking CPR and first responder classes.

For Jones, fire behavior is an essential part of fire training and a reality check for many of the rookies.

“You can’t fully predict what a fire is going to do,” Jones said. “It’s a living, breathing thing, in a sense. Each fire has their own personality and make-up.”

The six rookies spent the better part of their weekend at the fire department going through hefty textbooks and learning that firefighting is more technical and tactical than they originally thought.

Christopher Herring, 32, of Craig, is an EMT, but is new to firefighting.

“It’s a lot of information,” Herring said of the training. “I guess I didn’t know the depth of fire.

“There’s more to it than looking at a fire, saying, ‘It’s hot,’ and throwing water on it. You don’t want to run in just because everyone else is running out. You have to apply the teachings just to make sure everyone comes out safely.”

On Saturday, he learned that flames in a structure fire actually are caused by the chemicals released from the wood, and not from the burning wood itself.

Brett Avwaerter, 23, of Craig, said he was looking forward to the upcoming year of training.

“I thought it was cool,” he said. “You learn to approach a dangerous situation with knowledge. We’ll go into an emergency, but we’ll have the training to come out safely.”

He said part of his interest in firefighting was a desire to be a hero, but that wasn’t the only reason he will commit hours of his time during the next year to training.

“It’s not just being a hero, it’s about doing the right thing to save property and persons,” Avwaerter said.

While each of the six had unique reasons for entering firefighter training, they all agreed that the camaraderie they were building with their fellow rookies was a major draw.

So was the thought of being part of battling some of the tougher, angrier blazes.

Right before they broke for lunch Saturday, Jones talked about the worst fire he had ever seen: the Country Mall fire in 2007.

“It was an animal gobbling up everything in its path and consuming it,” Jones said. “It was lost before it even began.”

Still, as the rookies listened and asked questions, it was clear even the worst of fires can be a teaching moment.

“Every fire is different and there’s something to learn from every one,” Jones said.

2010 Craig Fire/Rescue rookie class

Ricardo Aragon

Age: 23

From: Cuauhtemoc, Mexico

Years in Craig: 3.5

Why I joined

Craig Fire/Rescue:

“I just wanted to do something for myself and the community and what else better than the fire department? Oh, by the way, the population of Hispanics is increasing in the community, and since I’m bilingual, I would be a good help to the fire department.”

Brett Avwaerter

Age: 23

From: Houston, Texas

Years in Craig: 6

Why I joined

Craig Fire/Rescue:

“I grew up with two career firefighters in my family and always respected the profession.”

Christopher Herring

Age: 32

From: Craig

Why I joined

Craig Fire/Rescue:

“I love to service the community and help fellow citizens. I love the brotherly (and sisterly) camaraderie you get for this service. It becomes your family.”

Tyler McWilliams

Age: 27

From: Craig

Why I joined

Craig Fire/Rescue:

“To be a tactical

instrument of public safety.”

Raul Perez

Age: 27

From: Mexico

Years in Craig: 7

Why I joined

Craig Fire/Rescue:

“Because I wanted to help my community and because doing this job will make me appreciate my life more than before. Learning the science of fire will make me be safe and know what to do on a dangerous scene.”