My first shout!

 A new life at Totnes Fire Station.

December 8^th 2017 – passed my Recruits Course.

December 9^th 2017 – My first Fire Station social event, our Christmas meal.

I was suitably excited, having just passed my course, and we headed out to a local pub we had booked for our Christmas meal. Being self-employed I don’t tend to go on many social occasions, so this was a rare treat, actually being surrounded by my new work colleagues.

The meal was great and a few of us that weren’t on call that night, headed out into town for a couple more drinks, it was great to finally feel part of something special, part of the team, and as the months progress, I am to integrate further with them on long shouts and standby duties.

December  11^th 2017 – My first day as an ‘On Call’ Firefighter.

December 21^st 2017 5am – My First Shout!

Nothing can prepare you for this moment, and I'm sure everyone deals with it in different ways. Mine was at 5am, I was in a deep sleep, it was dark out, and my allerter went off on my bedside table.

People ask me, ‘What if you don’t wake up?’ seriously, that thing is loud, and it’s even louder in a quiet house at 5am!

I flew out of bed, put my clothes on, ran down the stairs, put my wellies on the wrong feet, (it was dark) I couldn’t do up my jacket, grabbed my bike lights and peddled off down the road as fast as my little feet could move.

I spotted Claire running along the path towards the Station, this would be a frequent thing on future shouts.

Fire kit on, suspected flat fire, hopped into the Fire Engine and off we went.

Again, nothing can prepare you for your first shout, I was sat in the back of the Fire Engine, thoughts rushing through my head.

I can’t believe I’m in a Fire Engine……

Wow! The blue lights are lighting up the houses either side of the road……

Everyone is really quiet! (This isn’t always the case, but I have since realised it’s the early morning shouts that are like this)

I’m really quiet……

Oh, we’re here, I have to get out and do fire stuff!

The rest of the team were awesome. Simon let me shadow him and everyone kept me involved explaining things that I needed to know. I felt completely involved, and had my first taste of what it’s like to deal with some burnt macaroni. The life of an ‘On Call’ Firefighter is varied, to say the least, and this first experience was in no way and anti-climax, but part of the full learning journey.

Road Traffic Collision course - RTC

Day One – Saturday 16^th December 2017.

So, the training wheel keeps rolling, and just a couple of weeks after completing our Recruits Course, the wonderful team are back for our Road Traffic Collision course – RTC for short.

There was lots of classroom input to start with before heading outside to start learning the practical on how to take apart a car safely, with a casualty, or even many casualties in it.

It was like we had never been apart, we all told stories of our first shouts, except Dan, who hadn’t had any, he’s at a very quiet station most of the time! Our teamwork shone through again, as we worked together to stabilise a vehicle, manage glass and create space to aid casualty recovery.

There was a lot of theory on the first day, but all absolutely necessary for the following days of practical.

Day Two – Sunday 17^th December 2017.

A day of practical, in the rain, but we didn’t seem to notice too much.

We learnt about gap creation, dash roll and dash lift, we got to work with spreaders, cutters and rams, it was brilliant to finally get our hands on the gear we have all been logging on the inventory, and looking at longingly.

We pretty much tore about, piece by piece, methodically, 3 cars, then we had a Mercedes to finish. We were tired at this point, the other cars, we had been commended on how well we did, but we all seemed to fall apart slightly on the final car. It wasn’t horrendous, but it did put all our good work the rest of the day to shame slightly. Big lesson though, as 'On Call' Firefighters, we have other jobs, lives to lead, we will be tired at times, woken at ridiculous times of the morning, our heads need to be better in the game. We need to make sure we are rested when we can, fuel ourselves with food and water when we can. This job is a life-changer in so many ways.

Day Three – 18^th December 2017.

Assessments – both practical and written! Our favourite thing……..not!

We started the day with the written assessment, it was a lot tougher than we thought, we had to write a lot, and somehow I finished mine way ahead of everyone else and ended up drinking tea, alone in the rest area upstairs. Eventually everyone else came up to join me, and then I was worried I hadn’t written enough. Turns out, I’m just a speedy writer, and we all passed!

Our practical assessment was in the rain, we were greeted by two assessors, oneof which had trained us in our recruits course.

I can sum the practical up in just a few words, manic, sweat, teamwork, passed!

We really did sweat our wotsits off in that assessment, but we worked together, and got the casualties out safely, in not too bad a time.

The reality of what you think will happen on the course, as to what happens on the course is a very different thing, and I’m not going to lie, it’s tough. The whole process is tough and not to be taken lightly, but at the same time, it is so worth it.

Time to say goodbye to the chaps as we go away and Christmas looms over us; our next meeting will be in Exeter, the BIG course, and the one that we have all been waiting for.  Roll on January 6^th!

Recruits course - part two.

Recruits course – the final five days.

It was good to get back and see the guys, my new friends! Ah!

The week started with Safety at Height and Confined Space – aka SHACS, and I have to say I loved it. I guess from years of climbing this was something that I could understand easily and I really enjoyed that first day back. Not quite so physically active, but enough!

We continued with SHACS the following day, learnt about live carry downs, roof ladders and yet more combination drills.

The live carry downs was interesting, although poor Ryan got me at one stage and I kept kneeing him in the groin because of our extreme height difference. We got very close as a team that day, in more ways than one, hugs all round!

That evening a representative from The Firefighter’s Charity came to see us, and actually it was really interesting how they help. I think most of us signed up for a small donation each month; you never know when you are going to need their help.

Day ten of the course was wet, but brilliant. We were doing combination drills again and we had to divert water down a stairwell, without it getting into any rooms either side. There was a lot of water, but as a team we did really well and managed to ace it. Our Instructors were planning on getting us wet that day, but we did too good a job, so suddenly the task changed and we had to get a branch off the second floor balcony. The flood water was still running and those of us working from the balcony had an absolute soaking from both Staff. Their ‘unexpected rain shower’ soaked a fair few of us, much to their delight.

Yes, we were training hard and learning, but the Instructors were great at keeping humour going with us, where it was appropriate. We cranked the drying room right up that day!

We had the first of our RTC (Road Traffic Collision) input that day, it would be the next course that we go on, but we learn how to set up a tool pool and use the hydraulic pump, something we will be allowed to do straight after recruits course.

Another long day and a visit from a lady in charge of Firefighter Welfare. I think she could see how tired we were, it was late and I think she cut her visit short as some of us were not focussed. It was interesting though, another way that DFSRS look after their staff.

The final two.

Day eleven was our final written assessment, something we should all pass; we had put in the work and the revision. We would sit upstairs late in the evening testing each other, all asking and answering, but it didn’t stop the nerves. I actually felt a little nervous just then thinking about it!

We then learnt briefly about Compressed Air Foam (CAF) which is just amazing used in the right way in the right environment and we had great fun coating the walls with it. Then a little water rescue input and we were left to prepare for the following final drill tomorrow.

We prepared by letting our hair down a little, a few drinks in the pub, a little dancing and some fun, and that’s all you’re getting. It was a good night, and deserved.

We entered the classroom on our final day to a talk about the new online training folders; needless to say we were all a little bit tired!

 We wanted to get out there and do the final exercise of the course, water-relay pumping from a little stream on the main road, up to the training centre, into the dry riser and off the roof.

It was mad, lots of running about, running hose the wrong way, running back the correct way, extra LPP’s needed, we worked our bits off that morning. We did it though, tired, happy, all the emotions after a late night.

Our final 1-1’s and I left happy, a big turnaround from my first 1-1 with Adele. We all passed and got ready to head back to our stations as ‘Supernumerary’ ready to go on the run for the first time.

Recruits course - part one

Recruits course - the first seven days.

The date was set, 25^th November 2017 – Recruits course in Plympton.

This would mean 12 days of hard core basic training, staying away from home, from my beloved furry children for the first time in ages. Packing took forever, I know I was only down the road, but I wouldn’t be able to leave until after the first seven days, when we would get the weekend off. 

Saturday 25^th November 2017.

I was packed, the dogs were still at home when I left, they weren’t being picked up until 8.30am, and my neighbour was sorting the cat and ferrets for me. I said goodbye to the chaps and headed down the A38 towards Plympton, and my home for the next seven days.

I was first to arrive, then gradually more nervous looking faces arrived, we decided to go into the building and were greeted with a sign to say welcome! Glancing around it wasn’t too difficult to notice that I was the only female on the course, interesting start.

We dropped off our kit and made our way into the classroom, I recognised Ryan, Bill and Mark from the written and fitness assessments, and everyone else seemed really nice.

The morning consisted of ‘ice breakers’ finding out each other’s hobbies, I also found out I was the oldest, double the youngest age!

We were shown around the centre, and I was given the choice of where I would be sleeping, as the only female I could have had the female block all to myself, but I thought I would feel isolated there, so asked the guys if they minded having me in with them, and all said it was okay, I shouldn’t be on my own. Team bonding had begun.

We were put into two teams, red and green, I was red 6, and Instructor Adele (although we refer to all Instructors as 'staff' in training) was heading up our team.

Back into the classroom for the first of our theory input. Knots, hazards and risks, safe person principle and ladders. We then went outside for an afternoon of ladder drills, one of many over the coming weeks. There’s something you need to know about ladders, if you are considering joining the Fire and Rescue Service, they are flipping heavy! Now I know why the ladder lift on the fitness test is so very important, it’s even harder the shorter you are, and as well as being the oldest and the only female on the course, I was also the shortest! Of course, I am also very stubborn and don’t like to get beaten by things, and after a while you get used to the weight.

So much to think about, as we were waiting for dinner that evening we had a good chance to get to know each other properly, it was clear to all that we had our entertainment sorted with Dan aka Danielle, he has kept us in fits of laughter for weeks now. Everyone fitted in, and to my joy there was a vast amount of ‘innuendo humour’ amongst us, I could relax and be myself. These guys were strangers that morning, now I feel I could trust them all with my life.

Recruits course day two.

We started the day with a full English breakfast, and I am so glad we did with the amount of  physical exercise that was coming our way.

We had some classroom input all about Incident Command, tabards, sectors and tactical modes and then we were back out for most of the rest of the day running out hose. I hadn’t really done this before my course, too say it’s hard work would be an understatement. Part of our sign off was to run out 6 lengths of hose and roll up again, in 8 minutes. I was apprehensive about trying this on day two, but everyone else was up for it, so I thought why not! And to my amazement I managed it in 7 mins 25 seconds, happy with that.

We had someone come to talk to us today about ‘defusing’ which was insightful, the Fire Service really do look after all elements of health and well-being of their staff. Having come across PTSD in my own charity work I knew just what the guy was talking about. He showed us some videos of incidents that had caused PTSD to various Firefighters, and sadly some were still suffering, because of the lack of defusing. This I am sure will be of great significance to some of us, in our future careers.

The day was exhausting, we were fully appreciative of our dinner that night, then it was time to do after use checks and boot polishing. Most evenings were all about the polishing of shoes and boots and tying endless knots for practice, oh, and revision for knowledge checks that we had along the way. 

Pumps!

Day three started with another full English, in fact I won’t bore you with it anymore, every day started with a full English breakfast! I swear by it now to get me through a hard day of physical and mental exertion.

Pumps sort of became a bit of a nemesis for me that first week, mainly because I didn’t get on them as much as I should have, I was doing a lot of the running about stuff instead. We learnt how to use the pump on the appliance and we also learnt to use the LPP, or light portable pump.

We were using the LPP to pump from open water, using hard suction hose. More revision, more knots, more polishing and it seemed we were going to bed earlier and earlier by the day. Dan serenaded us all with a little trumpet fanfare as he turned out the lights each night….which was nice.

 

Day Four, a very long day.

Our classroom input was mostly about how to identify rank, we learnt about the very important Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 and went outside to haul and carry aloft hose. Finally all that rolling hitch practice was going to pay off!

Now, I’m a big fan of ladders, I have always liked heights, done lots of rock climbing and abseiling, and as a word of warning, and what this blog is all about, focus on the basics, I made what could have been a vital error on this day, by almost trying to climb down a ladder without it being footed. Never forget how dangerous the job is, no matter how comfortable you are with it, I wouldn’t jump into water without a lifejacket, I learnt that day! It’s easy to become complacent when you are tired, but getting a shout at 2am you will be tired, you have to always be safe, biggest advice I can give anyone on this course, or in the job.

We were all aching by the end of the day, and unexpectedly there were two union reps waiting to meet us while we had dinner, so we sent a couple of guys over who had finished and raced over after our food. 

Union representation is key, I am told; the first rep obviously didn’t want to be there, he gave us an ill-prepared power-point presentation and left as quickly as he could. The second rep sat down and had a nice chat with us, more personal, no rush and he sold it to me. I signed up that night.

We still had polishing and revision to do that night, I think we finally got to shower and bed by 10pm, a late finish compared with the rest of the week. We all slept well that night.

Let the assessments begin……..

Days five to seven were all about the mid-term assessments. Knots, ladders, pumps, hose, combination drills, more ladders, more drills, we were pushed more than ever to get everything spot on.

During those last few days of week one, all we did was 'focus on the basics', and we all succeeded in making it through the assessments, both written and practical ready to come back for the second week.

Sadly during the first week, for family reasons, we lost Mark, who I am sure in the future will get back into training as he was a natural. We were down to eleven.

The final part of the first week was a 1-1 meeting with your Instructor, so mine was with Adele. Constructive criticism that was to disturb me over the weekend, but made me up my game for the following five days. I went back to station and revised the pump and thought long and hard about what she had said. I didn’t want to let anyone down, least of all myself. Time to up it all a gear, this was my chance; I didn’t want to come back and have to re-do it.

If you are considering joining DFSRS, don’t think that it’s a given that you will pass everything first time. Our group worked so hard, individually and as a team, we earned it, it’s a tough job and it doesn’t matter how big and strong you are, one mistake, could make or break it for you. Focus on the basics, and you should be fine.

 Work-work-life balance.

The middle weekend of Recruits course you get a weekend off. I was looking forward to seeing my pets mostly, but being self-employed, I also had a massive catch up with my clients, cramming them into the weekend, as well as revision.

If you are going to do this course, try and keep your life as free as possible around it. I had scheduled all my business social media posts for the full 14 days prior to me leaving, so I didn’t have to worry about it, and I’m glad I did. You need to focus your complete attention to this course; I actually disabled Facebook from my phone for the duration of the course, so I wasn’t tempted by work distraction.

The weekend flew by, and I was ready to return to my new friends, and training buddies - let week two begin.