any advise on what probe school will be like?

[rubenb1978]

Probe school starts in Feb and am looking forward to starting it, but the camp has a very funny name to it... it's called "death camp" or "hell camp". I have a million things running through my head. Can anyone shine some light on this.

[pdxfire]

Probe school starts in Feb and am looking forward to starting it, but the camp has a very funny name to it... it's called "death camp" or "hell camp". I have a million things running through my head. Can anyone shine some light on this.

Its going to be HELL and some will DIE

[iamacheetah]

a few pieces of advice

Here are a few things that I was told by my mentor Chief Roth That have held true in both the Firefighter 1 academy and the PCF academy that I have attended.

1.Shut your mouth and open your ears. There is a reason that you have one mouth and two ears.
2.Your school is your only priority right now. If you have a wife or kids, sit them down and tell them how long and how much energy you will require and ask them for support. I was able to weasel out of a few of the daily chores and my fiancee was taken on a nice vacation to thank her!
3.Give everything that you have to Your "Hell Camp". There are a lot of people who would give anything to be in your shoes right now and they can't.
4.You make sure that you always look out for your buddies because your reputation will proceed you. If somebody catches on that you aren't a team player, you will have a hard time breaking that Rep.
5.Remember to have fun. They're all supposed to be hell. Doesn't mean that you cant have a good time
6.Stay humble. If you are hot sh*t and you know it, check your ego at the door. Nothing will make you fall out of grace faster with your fellow recruits and your cadre than an over-inflated ego. We had a guy that would catch his reflection in just about anything reflective. Combine that with a know-it-all attitude and he wasnt taken too seriously.

Congratulations and have fun! Lots of souls are looking down at you, make them proud.

[iamacheetah]

Its going to be HELL and some will DIE

hahahahaha...

[CTJAKE]

Make sure your in shape.

[scote3232]

Like the others have said...I was ready to run 3 miles at the start of recruit school.

Shutup and listen. No one likes a know it all (even if you do know it all) or loud mouth. ACTIONS much louder than your big mouth.

Respect the officers and training staff. Don't kiss butt.

IF YOU'RE EARLY, YOU'RE ON TIME....IF YOU'RE ON TIME, YOU'RE LATE.

Good luck!!

[BCLepore]

Here is a chapter out of my book, The aspiring firefighter's two year plan. It should answer all of your questions. Good luck

What to Expect From A Fire Academy

The following was written by an anonymous rookie firefighter shortly after being hired by a major Southern California fire department.


I recently graduated from a tower this past spring/summer where 50 started but only 30 graduated. This is almost a 50% failure rate. I can only share my experiences of what I saw. If you talk to other people, they may have keyed into different things.

Poor Attitude:

1. Igmr’s (I got mine) – if you have this mind set the instructors will quickly identify you as someone who is not a team player.


2. Be a listener, not a teacher. If you know something, share it with your classmates during lunchtime. Don’t suggest something to an instructor about a trick you learned as a fire explorer or as a firefighter from another fire department. Remember, you are trying to pass the tests (manipulative and academic) the “tower” way, not the “field” way.


3. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut. Only chitchat with your buddies at lunchtime. Don’t join into conversations that shouldn’t be going on in the first place.


4. Don’t talk badly about your instructors or your fellow cadets.


5. Don’t make excuses. If you screw up, don’t apologize; just move on. Most importantly don’t make the same mistake twice.


6. Don’t go out with your buddies on weekends to “take a break,” because that’s how people get into trouble. DUI’s, fights and public intoxication are a sure way to get dismissed from the academy.


7. Do not brown nose your instructor. They are not your friends, nor will they ever want to be. Show respect and you will do fine.


8. Remember you are there for a badge, not to gain friends. Keep the non-essential talk for after you leave the drill tower grounds.

9. Support your fellow cadets as much as you would want to be supported. You will not make it through without their help and vice versa.

Physical conditioning

The first 3 weeks were the most difficult. It appeared they wanted to weed out the weaker candidates. We had 13 people quit in the first week and a half, many of these in the first two days.
The physical agility test is not even close to the exertion you will go through in the tower. If you barely pass the agility test, you are in trouble. Each day you will go home sore, bruised and strained. Due to the fast pace, your body does not have a chance to recover from one day to the next. The better your physical condition, the greater the chance your body can adapt to the rigorous training. It is imperative to be in the best shape possible. If you aren’t, you are going to get hurt.

Mental Conditioning

After the first 4 weeks of our 14-week academy, it started sinking in that we were going to be here for a while. It’s mentally draining. You have to stay focused or you will never make it.
It is extremely stressful to prepare for a manipulative exam knowing that if you don’t perform you will lose your job. Everyone in the academy had to perform an evolution a second time knowing that this was his or her last and final opportunity. I guarantee it will happen to anyone who enters an academy. Being able to perform under pressure is critical. Remember, you are your own worst enemy.

Academic
You will be exposed to information about a myriad of different topics while in the academy. You are expected to know every piece of information that has been presented. You will be tested on it weekly, sometimes daily.
People failed out of my academy for a variety of reasons. Probably the main reason was poor physical conditioning. Even those who survived the first 10 days had physical conditioning issues. It was apparent who was struggling. When you are tired and run down, you don’t think clearly. This leads to mistakes, which in turn lead to bringing attention to yourself. Ultimately, you find yourself fighting for your job.
There are many things you can do to enhance your opportunity for success in the academy. First and foremost, maintain top physical conditioning. The better shape you are in, the better your chances of avoiding injury and making unnecessary mistakes.

Secondly, put yourself through a fire academy at the local community college. The more familiar you are with ladders, hose and SCBA’s, the better your chances of being successful in the academy.
The academy is extremely fast-paced. Those who did not have previous experience to draw from definitely had a more difficult time. Fortunately I had been through a basic fire academy. I have to admit that the academy at the community college, although at the time seemed hard, was like a day at Disneyland compared to the fire department’s academy.
Learn how to study before you enter the academy. Find a place where you can sit down and get away from the world and immerse yourself in the books. Set it up beforehand; don’t wait until you start the academy to figure out where you are going to study.
Form study groups early. Take a look around and try to identify who appears to be focused on making it through. There is no doubt that there is a benefit to having someone to bounce questions off. He or she may interpret the reading material differently than you and key into something you may have misinterpreted. In addition, he or she will pick you up when you are struggling, and vice versa.
Take fire science courses prior to entering the academy. The more background and exposure you have to the fire service, the better you will fare. Remember each night you will be assigned a ton of reading. You are physically exhausted after being on the grinder all day long. It is difficult to maintain concentration to sit and study for a written exam the next day. The more information you have before entering the academy, the easier the material is to digest in a shorter time frame.
Completing the academy is one of the most challenging things you will ever go through. The more you can stack the deck in your favor, the better the chances of making it through. Don’t take it lightly. The work is just beginning.

Paul Lepore
Battalion Chief

https://www.aspiringfirefighters.com

[CALFFBOU]

From the TORRANCE FIRE DEPARTMENT, CALIFORNIA-

SUCCESSFULLY SURVIVING YOUR RECRUIT TRAINING

The following guidelines will help you be a successful recruit on the Torrance Fire Department. Many of you have various levels of experience and training which will be valuable to the Torrance Fire Department in the near future. But as a recruit (new employee), your probationary period will be much more pleasant if you can demonstrate patience in displaying your talents and skill until you’ve learned what we want you to know.


BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES FOR THE TRAINING TOWER

1. Do ask questions if you do not understand.
2. Do take every opportunity to help to help one another develop into a team.
3. The “Double Time Trot” is accepted mode of transportation from one place to another while outdoors.
4. Tardiness or unexpected absenteeism will not be tolerated in the fire service, period. Better to be a hour early than a minute late.
5. Arriving for duty unprepared will demonstrate the qualities necessary for a new career elsewhere.
6. A lack of aggressiveness in manipulative work will shorten your basic training period significantly.
7. Disregard for safety will get you canned.
8. Standing with your hands in your pockets will raise questions about your respect for authority and your level of attention.
9. Profanity and/or spitting on the ground will get you a job with someone else.
10. If it doesn’t move, clean it. If it does move, address it as “Sir”.
11. Don’t attempt to socialize with regular members of the department during the basic training period.
12. Show respect for all co-workers at all times.
13. Hustle, shine and always look good.

[mattc05]

The academy is going to be one of the better times in your career... mentally and physically tough for sure.

I'd recommend borrowing a pair of bunker gear somewhere and start wearing it now. 8-12 hours in straight bunker gear is vicious, especially first starting out.

[Hawg4248]

Lots of souls are looking down at you, make them proud.

Wow, I have never read or heard that saying. I am in my academy now and now have goose bumbs thinking of it that way.

[rubenb1978]

probe school

thank you all for your input.

[wakehead8]

I was once told to survive Boot Camp:

1. Get your head out of your ***!
2. Calm Down!
3. Shut up and Listen!

It will be fun! Enjoy!

[scfire86]

Pain. Expect lots of pain.

Pain for breakfast.
Pain for lunch.
Pain for dinner.

J/K.

Just remember your instructors aren't there to watch you fail. They are there to watch you perform. By virtue of being invited, you established that you have the ability. Prove to them you are capable and you will have no problem.

[iamacheetah]

my FF1 academy was run by some outstanding individuals

Wow, I have never read or heard that saying. I am in my academy now and now have goose bumbs thinking of it that way.

The two Firefighters that ran our PT were former Military. One was Army Ranger and the other was Coast Guard. One thing that we emphasized a lot was 343 + the many before and after them. We ran and called cadence every morning. When calling cadence I had this loud voice that came out of nowhere. I was Nicknamed "First Sargeant" and My instructors let me write a few cadences. Here is one about the 343:

343 lookin’ down at me, ill be all that I can be
I hope they look down at me with pride,
knowing they’d want me by their side
50, 60 flight of stairs, don’t know when Ill get there
Irons and hosepacks by their sides
Breach the doors open your nozzles wide
Here we go,
don’t look back
cant see nothing
all looks black
If I die
before I sleep
Give my kids
My badge to keep
doing what they had to do,
died trying to save me and you
there were no questions asked,
They said we’ll get em’ down and we’ll get em’ fast
One by one, goin in the door,
don’t you worry were sending more
Our brothers all dressed in black,
knew they weren’t coming back
Dedicated,
Motivated,
Sacrificed
Their lives
For you and I
Do or die
1st class ticket to the the pearly gates,
come on in, you don’t have to wait
We wont ever forget your deeds
Sacrifice before self is our creed
So If you happen to hear our song,
sing it proud and sing it long


If youve called cadence before, you can figure out haw it all comes out. There is nothing more empowering than running with your brothers and sisters shouting at the top of your lungs so that the whole world knows just how lucky you are to be a firefighter.
David Furey

[BCLepore]

David,
What a nice tribute. Well done.