Published: November 06, 2009 11:45 pm      

Under fire: Rookies get taste of what’s in store

ASHLAND — A new crop of Ashland firefighters got a small taste of what lies ahead of them on Friday.

The seven members of the rookie class participated in fire extinguisher drills at the fire department’s training grounds, located on the riverfront.

After receiving instructions from Firefighter Carl Stambaugh, each of the seven approached a metal washtub containing a diesel fuel-kerosene mixture that had been set ablaze. They took turns putting out the flames using two types of extinguishers — dry-chemical and carbon dioxide.

The seven began their training on Monday, and Friday’s exercise was their very first exposure to live fire, said Battalion Chief Duane Trimble, the class’ training officer. Most of their time up until then had been spent doing class work, he said.

Next up for the group, Trimble said, is an intensive seven-week recruit class, a good portion of which will be spent in the department’s fire training tower, which is used to simulate the conditions of an actual structure fire.

“(The fire in the washtub) will be the smallest body of fire they see,” said Jonathan Pennington, another battalion chief.

All new firefighters must undergo 400 hours of training in order to be certified by the state, Trimble said. Until they are certified, they are known as probationary firefighters, or “probies.”

The training process will continue even after they’re certified, too. During the next year, the seven will be required to undergo technical training and to become certified as emergency medical technicians, Trimble said.

The current rookie class is the department’s first in about three years, Trimble said. The city posts openings on the department as vacancies occur, mostly due to retirements, he said.

The new firefighters actually applied for the positions and began going through the screening process about six months ago, Trimble said.

Members of the rookie class are: Matt Suman, Dustin Charles, Jacob Bryant, Matt McAllister, David Wood, Stephen Spears and Jarrod Chamberlin.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.