Photos by Brittany Woolsey.
For recruits in the Long Beach Fire Department Fire Academy, staying low to the ground during a flashover and keeping spirits high during times of stress are some of the key elements for survival.
As they practice extricating vehicles, assisting victims and, of course, putting out fires during training, the experiences are very real for the 28 recruits from Academy 2014A. The flipped-over cars are real, the breathing techniques are real and one mistake while putting out a fire could mean life or death for all involved.
Training is important because it prepares the recruits for real-life scenarios, said Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) spokesman Jake Heflin, as he led the Post on an exclusive first look into the academy.
“Every routine is scripted, everything is done exactly the same to make every situation the same for each group and prepare them for scenarios,” Heflin said.
Getting into the academy is extremely competitive, Heflin said, adding that the number of academies each year is dependent on the budget and the needs of the LBFD. This was the only academy of 2014, he said, and the department is currently planning one for 2015 from a list of candidates.
“It is an extremely difficult and challenging hiring process,” he said. “We take this very seriously because these people will be with us for 30 years. We need to make sure that selection process is very estringent and very thorough. We want to make sure they have the aptitude and hardiness, and that’s why this academy is so unique because of the significant stressors that are put on them. The reality is that these experiences are very similar to what they’re going to experience while working for the fire department.”
During the 20-week, 800-hour academy, which began on October 6 and ends with a graduation on February 21, recruits learn techniques and skills, like EMT training, truck and engine operations, extinguishing fires, auto extrication, hazmat incidents, how to get out when they’re trapped and technical rescue.
“These are things now that fire services have had to engage with because of the environment,” Heflin said. “We have to make sure they’re informed and educated and understand the different dynamics associated with that.”
One thing that makes the Long Beach Fire Academy unique is that each recruit goes through EMT training and driver operator training, Heflin said.
During training, recruits are given five block exams and three attempts at each test before they fail out of the academy. No recruit has failed out yet in 2014A, said Batallion Chief Jim Rexwinkel, who serves as the director of training.
Of course, each recruit has his or her own skill sets, but that’s what makes them a team, Heflin said.
“Collectively, that’s the value that the fire department has,” he said. “We’re a family, and we have to rely on each other. Everyone has to be tested to a standard, and everyone, regardless of who they are, has to meet that standard. That’s something we take a lot of pride in.”
This year’s academy recruits are also very representative of Long Beach, Heflin said of the ethnically diverse group. Of the recruits, three are women and 25 are men. Additionally, they each bring their own skill sets from previous experiences, like the three veterans and 18 bachelor degree holders. Five recruits also have previous fire experience and six of them have paramedic experience.
However, no matter how much physical training there is, having the right mindset to take on this demanding job is another thing, Rexwinkel said.
“Being physically ready is one thing, and being mentally trained is another,” he said. “For a probationary firefighter with no experience, you teach them skills under stress. When people are stressed, they begin to lose their motor skills and have a hard time concentrating. We can train them out of that mindset until they become like combat veterans. During the academy, the stress we put them under, like the stop watch, shows us how they perform under stress. The only thing that can help them through those stressful situations is the training. When they’re under stress, they will be able to revert back to that training that they learned.”
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