HAYDEN, Idaho — By the time firefighters at Northern Lakes Fire District arrive on scene, crucial decisions are already due.
“Usually 30 to 60 seconds,” Recruit Brenden Barry told NonStop Local “You’re usually doing it while you’re doing all the other essential skills.”
And making crucial, life or death decisions, all while dealing with a fire that’s often unpredictable and chaotic, Barry explained!
“There’s lots of yelling and lots of communication because it’s super loud in there,” Barry said. “It’s easy to get tunnel vision in these areas.”
But when the tunnel vision sets in, the Firefighters at NFLD have a tool in their arsenal: a tactical pause.
“Take time to make time,” Barry explained. “It’s just a quick pause, kind of collect your thoughts.”
Recruit Brenden Barry is one of 10 set to graduate next week and start working for the NLFD amid reports predicting a very active fire season.
Belle Lewis
NonStop Local Reporter
Tactical pauses, just one of the many mental-health related tips the NFLD’s 10- person recruit class received as part of their 10-week training.
Chief Kevin Croffoot told NonStop Local that the extended training is really due to some extra funding from a passed bond.
“This is the first time we’ve done 10 weeks,” Croffoot said. “They’re a little bit more equipped to start heading the road sooner.”
Those recruits, now equipped with mental health training to protect themselves, and practical training to protect themselves and others from the flames.
“Wildland fire is a big one,” Croffoot said. “For active shooter type training, we did add a few more aspects to it.”
And of course, there’s live burns.
“You saw today even training containers can be chaos,” Croffoot said.
The shipping containers serve as a training grounds for the live or practice burns that are run to train new firefighters.
Belle Lewis
NonStop Local Reporter
From their training grounds in Hayden, the recruit class can use several stacked shipping containers to run hose, vent, saw through roofs, and practice the skills that are unique to their profession.
“No fire is the same,” Croffoot explained.
That’s part of the training too, Croffoot explained. To show recruits how to respond to miscommunication or practical challenges.
And while the shipping container fires are contained, and the recruits rescue dummies, the training exercises create vital muscle memory, recruit Will Robson explained. And, they build confidence.
Confidence burns are just that: burns that are hot, and give recruits and other participants a chance to feel the hot flames with full gear.
“It’s so big to have people step up, even in the face of fear, and still want to help the community,” Croffoot said.
Recruits are tasked with entering the building several different ways, laying water hose, and rescuing weighted stuffed dummies.
Belle Lewis
NonStop Local Reporter
Chief Croffoot explained that NFLD will hold another training program later this year, likely in the fall.
“The next one could be 11 weeks,” Croffoot said. “We just adapt to what we might come to see.”