Four new Firefighter 1's named

There are four new members of the Firefighter 1 team at the Libby Volunteer Fire Department.

Brady Fiscus, Adam Orr, Nick Whiteman and Gary Zajanc all underwent extensive classroom and tactical training. The crew had to sustain a six-month probationary period in which they learned their way around the fire trucks, according to Libby Volunteer Fire Department lead coach and instructor Al Schad.

Training occurs in three-man crews, which includes a crew leader, toolman and a firefighter on the water hose nozzle. The positions of toolman and nozzle are tested and each crew member is responsible for knowing the details of each position.

There are several tactical skills the firefighters must master to pass the Firefighter 1 exam those include: offensive, which includes suiting up in firefighting turnouts and the self-contained breathing apparatus (SBCA) in one minute; interior, in which firefighters must charge the fire line, find the seat of the fire and knock out sheet rock, search the area, find a mannequin, take the mannequin out a window and bring the mannequin to safety; flat roof; pitched roof, on a pitched roof the firefighter must cut a hole in the roof for ventilation and allow heat to escape; and a live burn.

In the beginning, rookie firefighters don't concentrate on the time it takes them to perform each task, Schad explained. They go through the motions to master the technique and then work on cutting the time it takes to complete a task in order to pass the test. When they pass the test and receive the Firefighter 1 status then they are allowed to “go into a burning building and not just work the hose or drive the truck,” said trainer Scott Beagle. The Firefighter 1 candidates also practice with ladders on roofs.

Rookies train in a concrete building on the north side of the Kootenai River in Libby. They train in smoke and fire to get an optimum real-life experience, Schad said. The route can also be changed within the building and training stations, he continued.

“It's like a maze almost,” Schad added.

From start to finish, the process can take up to 18 months to finish the books, tactics and the test, he said. Every five years fire fighters must re-certify and go through all the training again, Schad said.

The Firefighter 1 recruits are tested by the Montana State University Fire Service Training School in Great Falls. Sheldon “Butch” Weedon is the director of the Fire Service Training School. The training and testing regimen is a nationally recognized and accredited program, Weedon explained. Recruits are trained based on National Fire Protection Association 1001 standards.

“We create a testing context that would parallel a real-life situation,” Weedon continued.

Among other elements, Firefighter 1 hopefuls are trained on a steep roof; ventilation; ladders; hazardous materials; a hot zone; vapor suppression; gas meter; decontamination skills; search and rescue, which includes entering a second floor of a residence; and taking a victim in need out of a window and down a ladder while having obscured vision, Weedon explained.

Recruit Brady Fiscus has been a volunteer at the Libby Volunteer Fire Department for approximately 1 1/2 years and he joined as a way to give back to the community.

“It was something I could do and wanted to do and I've known these guys for a long time,” Fiscus said.

Fiscus' father was also a volunteer with the department. Becoming a Firefighter 1 is an important part of being a volunteer, Fiscus added.

Trainee Nick Whiteman said the certification process was “physically difficult and mentally too.”

In addition to retrieving a 175-pound mannequin out of a two-story building, the Firefighter 1 candidates also had to haul 100 feet of hose up a ladder.

“It was definitely difficult,” Whiteman said. “It was really hard, but it was really fun. It's an adrenaline rush.”

The time of year the test was taken also played a part in the level of difficulty, Fiscus said.

“It's difficult doing it in July with our suits on,” he added. “It's pretty hot, but you mask up and go.”

The tasks also tested the integrity of the crew, Whiteman explained.

“It teaches you how to work as a team,” Whiteman continued.

There is a strong brotherhood among the volunteers, Whiteman commented.

“This is the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “I've wanted to be a firefighter for a very long time and it's something I've accomplished in my life. If I could do this full-time I'd quit my job.”

Firefighter 1 candidates meet every Tuesday for training, all volunteers meet on Thursdays for training and Firefighter 1 tests are on Saturdays. The Firefighter 1 test is taken in steps. Firefighters are tested on two tactics during each test period. State testing and certification agencies test the potential firefighters on their skills.

“We break it down and they seem to retain it more,” Schad said.

Several senior firefighters helped with the training process, Fiscus said. In addition to Schad and Beagle, Ryan Andreesen and Libby Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Fire Marshal Steve Lauer and several other firefighters helped, Fiscus added.

“It was very informative and those guys put in a big commitment,” Fiscus said about the training.

Once certified, Firefighter 1's are nationally accredited, Schad continued. The Firefighter 1 program was started at the Libby Volunteer Fire Department 15 years ago.

On their own time, veterans of the fire department frequently help train the rookies.

“[Firefighters] take a lot of pride in what they do,” Schad explained.

Whiteman echoed those sentiments.

“There are a bunch of guys here to help the community,” Whiteman said. “It's about tradition.”

For the majority of the new Firefighter 1's, becoming a fire fighter was somthing they had desired to do.

“I've wanted to [become a firefighter] for awhile,” said new firefighter Gary Zajanc. “I wanted to help people.

“The tests were physically and mentally tough, but the buzzer goes off and you go from sound asleep to wide awake,” Zajanc explained.

Adam Orr joined the fire department in summer 2006. Orr agreed with his firefighting brothers that the testing was difficult and the classes were “really well taught.”

“The guys put on great training,” Orr added. “They got in there and showed us what to do and got us through it.”

The most difficult part of the testing was the second-story patient removal, Orr said.

“We had to climb a ladder, find the patient and drag them out and down the ladder,” he explained.

Like his fellow firefighters, Orr enjoys the camaraderie among volunteers.

“It's a great group of guys,” he said. “It's good to know that those guys will be there for you no matter what.”