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.