Learning the Truck, Learning the Role: Volunteer Firefighter and Adaptive Communities

Volunteers—whether part-time or on-call—remain a vital part of rural communities, and in some places they’re being considered as a way to help offset the cost of maintaining full-time staffing. The challenge, of course, is the amount of training and the sheer number of hours firefighters dedicate to serving their communities. As with anything worthwhile, it requires time spent reading, practicing, and staying engaged. For those of us who have regular jobs, businesses, and other responsibilities, that commitment is significant—but absolutely worth it.

One area I want to learn more about is the trucks. Watching YouTube videos and seeing the trucks in action during practice has helped me understand their operation and reduce response times. It makes sense that firefighters should have working knowledge of the different functions and roles so we can step in where needed. Now that a few things have cleared from my schedule, there’s a good chance I’ll be able to participate more and respond more often when calls come in.

Firetrucks are more complex
now requiring more training.

Lately, I’ve been focusing on truck operations—understanding how the trucks function, how to stop, shift to neutral, go into drive, open the tank-to-pump, prime, and begin drafting water. I already knew some of this, but it still takes me a time to look around and make sure everything is set so more knowledge speeds that up. Some people do it so often that it’s second nature. The video below was helpful, so I wanted to share it.

The more we train, the more prepared we are to help build adaptive, resilient communities. With environmental pressures rising and budgets tightening, preventative measures matter. After reflecting on the article below, I realized I still have a small brush pile near my garage that needs to be cleared out—something I started but hadn’t finished. Removing it will create a better defensible space in case of a fire. Sometimes it’s the small things like this that make a big difference in reducing risk and damage.

By the way, if you’re interested in donating to a local fire department, I can point you in the right direction. Several departments in our area would put your support to good use—whether through equipment purchases or community service efforts.

Fire Adaptive Communities