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Nicholson, Amherst -- that's the cross.
Every day, we start with vehicle checks.
We make sure the hoses, our pumps and lights are all functioning properly.
And all the rest of the equipment that we're going to use is on board and operational.
After that, it's time for fitness training.
The job can be physically demanding. There's no time to rest in an emergency.
Most of the community are aware of the situation at hand and try to make our job easier.
You need to know the layout of your house. Who knows where the kitchen is?
Crawl low under smoke. Why do we need to crawl low ... ?
I really enjoy school visits because I like interacting with children.
The general public respects the work that firefighters do,
so I always get good responses from the people I talk to.
We've got a double flap ... that zips up there, up and down.
This goes over to cover that because heat could still get through there.
You've got a chinstrap there and when he's going close to the fire, that goes over there.
That's going to stop the heat getting to him.
Anything that comes off and crashes into him, it'll
still protect his face and is protecting his chin.
Every day's unique and some situations you can never prepare for,
but the training teaches us to think quickly and clearly
without panicking so we can react in the most effective way.
An emergency situation can be stressful with people
yelling and screaming due to the shock of an accident.
But when I achieve all my objectives, it's a very rewarding feeling.
Chemical incidents pose an extra threat because I don't always know what I'm dealing with.
I have to be particularly cautious -- not making
any moves until I have the right information.
The whole team consistently tries their best but some days the
elements take control and we don't get the result we aim for.
I used to work as an undertaker so coping with
the reality of death is something I'm used to.
In undesirable situations, it's important to have good interpersonal
skills, especially when dealing with people under stress.
I need to appreciate what they're going through while
answering their questions and giving them clear instructions.
I was a volunteer firefighter in the country for 17 years.
I knew enough about the realities of the work and thought it was time I got
paid for something I enjoy doing, so I applied for a full-time position.
Most firefighters come from trades or the armed services.
Won't be long now.
Even though I had experience, I still had to complete the standard 12 weeks basic training.
It taught me about breathing apparatus,
driving techniques, firefighting skills and teamwork.
Right now, I'm studying to be a station officer.
The officer-in-charge has sent me out to do hydrant inspections,
making sure they are clearly marked and accessible.
We work very long shifts -- up to 14 hours at a time.
It throws my body clock out occasionally plus I
still have to find time to be with my family.
I'm thinking of going to Canada on a firefighter exchange program.
A hundred and fifty, yeah, one fifty.
People come from all over the world to see how we do things here
and we can learn new practices from other countries as well.