Firefighters train with a breath of fresh air

Oct 30, 2018

Firefighter Tim Medeiros shimmied under a table on his stomach, weighed down by a full set of gear. Before that, he had to swap out his fire gear and reconfigure his hoses — all while blindfolded.

It was part of a training exercise held on October 24 to help Fire District No. 1 firefighters familiarize themselves with a new piece of equipment: state-of-the-art self-contained breathing apparatuses, or SCBAs.

A firefighter’s equipment is a vital lifeline, which is why routine training is so important. The new SCBAs, which were purchased following approval in July by the district’s Prudential Committee, include a cylinder of fresh air, a facepiece and mask, and a miniature thermal imaging camera.

Because the new devices work differently than the old ones, the district is 

spending a lot of time on training before bringing the new equipment to a fire.

At a fire, it’s “zero to 60 high stress,” said Lt. Ryan Cabral. “You lose gross motor skills. That’s why it’s so important to train.”

During the training exercise, Cabral designed an obstacle course for firefighters to navigate with their vision completely blocked to simulate the disorienting conditions of a fire, when smoke can make a building pitch black.

First, firefighters had to find a specific tool in a pile, then follow a fire hose and connect two ends of another tangled hose. They then had to switch packs without disconnecting their air supply. Firefighters also crawled under tables and practiced squeezing through a mock wall simulated with studs, as well as allowing in “smoke” and clearing their masks.

Deputy Chief Jake Bettencourt said switching packs in a fire is a worst case scenario that firefighters should be comfortable with in case their pack fails. Usually, a coworker can bring another air canister to attach to the pack.

The new equipment weighs much less than the old equipment, and allows firefighters to stay inside a burning building for 30 minutes instead of 10 minutes.

The equipment also gives each firefighter access to a thermal imaging camera, which will allow firefighters to quickly orient themselves in a room, find hot spots, or locate people still inside a building. Previously, only the lead firefighter had access to this equipment.

Along with new equipment and training, District No. 1 also has a new class of firefighters nearing the start of their careers.

Christian Cunha, 22, and Cody Cabral and Bailey Oliveira, both 18, handed in their physicals and are set to begin serving with the department in the coming weeks.

Cunha has always been interested in working as a police officer or firefighter, and has many family friends who work at the department. He’s also studying to be a paramedic and EMT.

“I wanted to do something I was really going to get something out of,” Cunha said.

Cabral’s father Michael is himself a District No. 1 firefighter, which motivated him to follow in his father’s footsteps. He grew up at the station, and most recently took on an internship helping the department maintain its vehicles.

“It’s a community job,” Cabral said. “When you’re a firefighter everyone in the community knows who you are.”

Like Cabral, Oliveira’s father is also a firefighter.

“It’s about following in his footsteps —It’s been a big impact in my life,” Oliveira said.