Questions

[donk7267]

I apologize if this is any where in the Forum...please help

I've been around the fire service all my life as my father an asst chief for a vollie dept in a small rural community.(in which he quit about when i was 10 but i still hung out at the station) When i turned 16 i joined our Explorer program. I have been with it for a year and LOVE IT. With training and working on calls i have decided that i am interested in driving the truck and being a pump operator. OK lets face it...im not the smallest guy but i am in really good physical condition for my size...so i figured i am unable to be an interior FF with guys being smaller and sometimes in better shape than i am...if i want to become a pump operator what certs do i need. Any thing will help

P.S. before it comes up i AM NOT afraid to go interior i would acutally love it

Thanks

[doughesson]

I'd say to start asking questions about pumping.If your department lets Explorers take state approved courses,see about taking the pumper operator course at the next opportunity.
Don't just start ignoring whatever your assigned job is on a call but wait until you are just checking out the rig to ask about how to set up for receiving water,setting pressures,keeping track of which line has which pressure,which fittings are used in what situation,etc.Just like with any job,learn the basics first.You can learn a lot from a school but your department has different rigs from school and the operator knows or better know how to get the most performance from it.

BTW,the usual driver/operators on my old volunteer department ain't skeered of interior either.They are just the best in their houses on the pump panel so that's their job.They can do interior with everyone else,if that's required of them.

[FEDVVFAC]

I agree, train like a demon on any/all pieces of apparatus in your department! But, I would be very hesitant to use someone as a D/O without them having intimate knowledge of interior and hose tactics. The D/O needs to know what the folks at the nozzle are experiencing (almost anticipating what they need), and the only way to get that knowledge is to be on the working end of the line! It's a whole lot more complicated than just catching a hydrant, setting the truck @ 150 and letting her run! As for your size, don't stress it too much. I have seen some big fellows (300+ pounds) make entry and fight like nobody's business. It just depends on your overall health and attitude. Sometime size has its benefits. But, learn the basics of firefighting first, it will give you the baseline knowledge to master everything else.