Day in the Life of a Firefighter

JIMMY, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT, BEING A FIREFIGHTER. AND BOY AM I >> Lisa: JIMMY, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT, BEING A FIREFIGHTER. AND I’M SO HAPPY THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO TAKE TON SUCH A DANGEROUS JOB. >> IT IS A VERY REWARDING JOB. IT’S ONE THAT TAKES A LOT OF TRAINING AND COMMITMENT. DELMARVA LIFE’S SEAN STREICHER GOT A SMALL TASTE OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A FIREFIGHTER AS HE SPENT A DAY IN THE LIFE WITH THE EASTERN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. >> Sean: FIREFIGHTERS, A GROUP OF BRAVE VIMS THAT ARE WILLING THE PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE TO SAVE OTHERS, THE FACT THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE VOLUNTEERS ONLY MAKES WHAT THEY DO THAT MUCH MORE IMPRESS I.

>>. >> IT’S A GREAT WAY THE GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND IT’S A GOOD FEELING TO HELP SOMEONE WHEN THEY’RE IN NEED. >> Sean: CHIEF CHANCE WOULD KNOW. HE’S A 29 YEAR VETERAN OF THE EASTON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. LIKE HIS COLLEAGUES, HE HAS ANOTHER JOB, BUT WHEN THE CALL COMES, HE JUMPS INTO ACTION. >> MOST PEOPLE ARE NORMAL EVERY DAY PEOPLE THAT HAVE JOBS AND THEY RESPOND FROM THEIR HOUSE, SO THEY COME UP TO THE FIRES HOUSE AND THEN WE PROCEEDS TO THE FIRE FROM THERE. >> OR CAR ACCIDENT, AUTOMATIC ALARM, OR EVEN HELP THE TALBOT COUNTY EMS ALL OF WHICH TAKES TRAINING AND TODAY IS A DRAIN TRAINING DAY, BUT BEFORE I COULD JOIN THE FIREFIGHTERS, I HAD THE GET DRESSED AND I HAD TO DO IT FAST. >> HOW FAST IS FAST? >> I WOULD SAY A MINUTE OR LESS. >> Sean: ALL RIGHT, SIR. LET’S SEE HOW FAST KY DO IT. >> READY, SET, GO. >> TIME. >> Sean: 52 SECOND. THAT WAS A GOOD TIME. >> WE THEN OUTSIDE WHERE A GROUP OF FIREFIGHTERS WAS WORKING ON VEHICLE EXTRICATION >>. >> RIGHT NOW THEY’RE GOING TO REMOVE THE WINDSHIELD FIRST, BEFORE WE MAKE MY ROOF CUTS, THEY WAY IT KEEPS IT FROM SHATTERING.

>> THEY THEN USE A HYDRAULIC CUTTER TO CUT THE PILLARS OF THE CAR. >> THE HARD PART IS WITH A LOT OF YOUR NEWER CARS THERE’S A LOT OF PLASTIC. THE OLDER CARS, IT CUTS RIGHT THROUGH ONCE ALL SIX PILLARS ARE CUT THEY CAN REMOVE THE ROOF AND REACH THE VICTIM. >> Sean: IT’S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN DO TO A CAR. HOUGH OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS? >> MAYBE TWO DOZEN TIMES A YEAR. >> Sean: YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OFF THE ROOF AND THE DOORS EVERY TIME. >> NO, THAT’S ONLY WITH SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. >> Sean: SO DO YOU THINK I CAN GIVE IT A TRY? >> SURE.

>> Sean: HIT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD DOWN HERE, REGULATE. >> YES, PUT YOUR BLADE IN THERE AND YOU YOU WANT TO BE ON THE FT LIKE THAT. >> Sean: AND THAT WOULD BRING IN THE HEAVY MACHINERY TO CUT THIS PIECE OF METAL. >> YES, WE’LL BRING IN THE CUTTER NOW AND MAKE OUR CUT RIGHT HERE AND THREAT TOOL DO THE WORK. >> Sean: SO HOW DO YOU DO THIS. >> WE’RE GOING TO COME IN HERE, YOU MADE YOUR CUT. YOU WANT TO GO AS FAR IN AS YOU CAN AND THEN YOU’RE GOING TO GO WITH THE BLADE AND LET THE BLADE DO THE WORK. ALL THE WAY THROUGH. THERE YOU GO P NOW WE OPEN THEM BACK UP. >> Sean: THAT’S CRAZY, I REACHED A POINT WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO START FIGHTING IT AND YOU SAID LET THE TOOL DO THE WORK AND IT JUST SOLUTIONED RIGHT THROUGH IT. >> YES, VERY POWERFUL. >> FROM THERE WE WENT INSIDE THE MEET UP WITH ANOTHER FIREFIGHTER. >> BASICALLY WHEN THINGS GO BAD, YOU START TO HAVE PARTIAL COLLAPSE, THIS IS SOME OF THE MESS THAT YOU’RE GOING THE DEAL WITH.

>> Sean: SO THIS IS DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU PRACTICE IN GETTING OUT OF THE WIRES. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> Sean: , SO SEND ME THROUGH IT. FOR IN ONE I HAD TO PUT ON AN AIR TANK AND BREATHING APPARATUS >> BRING IT BACK TOWARDS ME A LITTLE BIT. WITH THIS BOTTLE DOWN TO THE CORNER ARTICLES IN NICE AND TIGHT AND START SWIMMING THROUGH THERE. >> Sean: OH, MAN. >> DON’T PANIC. KEEP SLIDING. >> Sean: NOW THE FEELING I WAS HAVING AT THIS MOMENT IS KIND OF HARD TO EXPLAIN. I KNEW I WAS ALL RIGHT AND THAT THERE WAS NO REAL DANGER, BUT I STILL STARTED TO PANIC AND I FELT AS IF I WAS NEVER GETTING OUT. >> TAKE THAT AND PUT IT UNDER YOU, SEE HOW THIS LOOPS AROUND YOU? GO AROUND THE TOP OF THAT ONE THERE, YEP. >> AND IT’S THIS TYPE OF TRAINING THAT HAS THE EASTON VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS READY MR. WHEN DUTY CALLS. >> I THINK WHEN THE ALARM GOES OFF, IT JUST YOU JUMP INTO ACTION, YOU’VE BEEN TRAINED WHAT TO DO.

>> Sean: SEAN DONE GOOD. NOW, IN CASE YOU’RE INTERESTED, THE FIREFIGHTER IS ALWAYS IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS, IT WILL COVER THE COST OF TRAINING AND UNIFORMS AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU CAN BE A FIREFIGHTER THERE ARE OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP. IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION, GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WBOC.COM AND CLICK ON OUR PICTURE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE. .