The fire service is a noble calling whether one is a volunteer or chooses it for a profession. It’s a tremendous responsibility to protect the life and property of those one serves.
In 2015, it was disturbing to say the least, when the Dillon County Council voted to lower their training standard for firefighters allowing them to only have to complete a very basic 1152 fire class instead of continuing the require them to successfully complete Firefighter One, a more rigorous class that teaches basic firefighting skills. Now in the council’s defense, they did raise the pay per call for those with the Firefighter One training to encourage firefighters to take the course, and they do not allow those with only 1152 training to enter a structure fire, but one should never lower their standards.
Becoming a firefighter is more than just a noble calling and an awesome responsibility, it requires a commitment and that includes a commitment to get the needed and proper training.
One argument was that if the council kept the standard, they would lose too many “good” firefighters. The question should have been why would a “good” firefighter—one who is committed to serving the people in the best that he or she can—not want to take the training. There is something to be said for experience, but even 78-year-old Latta fireman Henry Brunson, who completed the Firefighter One training last year after being in the fire service for more than 50 years, said he learned a great deal from the course.
While achieving Firefighter One status has been made a big deal in Dillon County, in reality, with a brief search of the internet, one can easily find that Firefighter One is only considered a basic training course in most places. Shouldn’t our firefighters have basic training?
Another argument was that the Firefighter One training takes too much time. The course is rigorous and does take time to complete. This again is a commitment issue. Let’s go back to Latta fireman Henry Brunson. He is arguably one of the busiest people in Dillon County with him many commitments in the community including working with the Cooks for Christ ministry; however, he made the time to take the course. In Oak Grove, a high school student, Nick Rogers, has completed not only Firefighter One, but also Firefighter Two. Both Brunson and Rogers are examples for other firefighters that if you have the desire and willingness to learn no matter how old or how young you are that you can achieve your goal.
With the course being offered locally and in the surrounding area during the year, most firefighters, including those who are working a full-time job, could find a class that they can take if they want to do so.
Training is a necessary requirement to be a firefighter. A firefighter needs the best and proper training not only to protect themselves, but to protect other firefighters, and to save your life if the need arises. This may not be New York City, but fire does not discriminate. It doesn’t care where you are or who you are, it can injure or kill you or a firefighter, and destroy your home and property in the blink of an eye. Getting the proper training helps to increase the safety of the firefighter, other firefighters, and the victims.
Who do you want at your door when your home burns? A person with a very basic understanding of firefighting who can spray some water on your fire or someone with the knowledge and skill to save your home, your property, and perhaps, even your life? Most would choose the latter.
