Firefighter Fantasy Weekend II A Success

The Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Department played host to six members of the community in its annual "Firefighter Fantasy Weekend," April 21-23.

Susan Brubaker, Doug Howard, Tom McDonagh, Mark Stillman, Nashira Steiger, and Kimberly Young spent Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday learning about the department. The six performed in several training scenarios and received CPR certification. They also rode the two emergency calls the department handled during that time period.

Thanks to the participants for spending the weekend with us, and to their families for allowing them to do so!

A special thanks to Rich Waganer for his being here to film the weekend's activities.

Below is a copy of the article that appeared in Sunday's Carroll County Times, by Jordan Bartel:

PROGRAM OFFERS GLIMPSE INTO FIREFIGHTERS' LIFE

The group of firefighters - and firefighter wannabes - was packed tightly in a semicircle in the charred room.

It was a room on the second floor of a house where firefighters are trained. The interior is concrete, so that fires can be set throughout the building, allowing county firefighters to practice techniques, maneuvers and teamwork.

The walls were blackened. The floor was covered by layers of hardened ash.

But it wasn't another typical training session Saturday morning, and some of those suited up among the veteran firefighters had never been inside a burning home before.

Until this weekend, they had never put on fire gear, held a hose or been certified in CPR.

The six nervous faces inside the room that morning were participants in "Firefighter Fantasy Weekend." Put on by the Sykesville-Freedom District fire department, the free three-day program allows participants a chance to live the life of a firefighter.

This weekend, the group has been trained in almost every facet of the job. They spent time at the fire station, including sleeping in overnight. By the time the weekend is up, they will have learned CPR, gone on calls with the fire company and basically gotten an understanding of the day-to-day inner workings of the department.

And now, they were about to get their first taste of what is called live fire training.

"Anyone nervous?" asked Bruce Fleming, a certified fire training instructor and veteran volunteer firefighter.

There was a pause. Not a sound was uttered.

"Yes," finally admitted Kimberly Young, an Eldersburg resident who was one of the "fantasy firefighters." "I'm a little apprehensive."

"Good. And you should be," Fleming quickly responded. "It's when you let your guard down that accidents happen."

Fleming led the group through the 21/2-story building to get them acquainted with the layout and exits.

Then they walked through the rain into the garage at the Carroll County Emergency Services Training Center.

Group members were missing one important piece of gear for their upcoming brush with fire: no one had a breathing apparatus.

"A HECK OF A COMMITMENT"

It is the second year that the department has held the Firefighter Fantasy Weekend. It is designed to showcase the volunteer force of the company - every company in the county is headed up mostly by volunteers - and to recruit new members.

This weekend, there were six participants, three men and three women. There was one verteran firefighter for each participant. Volunteer firefighter Bill Flanagan watched as the group slipped oxygen tanks onto their backs and tested the equipment. In all, the gear weighs about 80 pounds.

"Volunteerism [in fire companies] is not what it used to be in the '70s and '80s," Flanagan said. "It's a heck of a commitment."

Flanagan said he's been impressed with this group of potential firefighters. He's volunteered with the Sykesville-Freedom company for almost four years and with other departments for 20 years.

Firefighting runs in his family. His father did it, his wife is a firefighter as well and his two daughters are junior firefighters.

"It's a lot of work, but we are showing them everything with this program," Flanagan said. "They're keeping up nicely."

So, with their gear on tight and their nerves slightly in check, the group made its way out into the rain and into the house of fire.

THE BEHAVIOR OF FIRE

This first mission was for the participants to see what the firefighters called "the behavior of fire": how it moved in the building, how quickly it spreads, where the best places are for clean oxygen.

The group of six walked over the two long water hoses they had set up earlier that day and followed Fleming and other company members into the building.

A fire was set and a few minutes later smoke began to billow out from the metal doors and windows.

The smoke was sparse at first, but as the fire spread and the temperature increased - it got as hot as 1,000 degrees - a blanket of dark gray began to cover the area around the building.

After 15 minutes the exercise was over. After putting out the fire, doors and windows were opened to release the smoke, and the group exited through the front door.

Their gear was covered with black splotches, particularly around the chest and knee areas. Taking off their helmets, the group began to look at each other and back at the building, seemingly amazed at what they had just gone through together.

Now, it was back to the garage for water and for vital tests to make sure they were still medically sound.

UNDERSTANDING THEIR PERSPECTIVE

Fleming was happy with the result of the short but important, exercise.

"Everyone did great," he said. "They were calm, cool in there. No problems at all."

But how did Young do? She was one of the most nervous of the "fantasy firefighters," but she said the experience was eye opening.

"I was nervous about the breathing apparatus, but it was amazing in there," she said. "I wanted to get an understanding of their perspective."

Young is a mother of three whose children are 4, 3 and 1 years old. She's not sure if she wants to become a firefighter, but she is definitely considering volunteering with the company in other capacities, such as EMT work.

Young was surprised most by how the fire acted and what a firefighter has to cope with during a blaze. For example, she thought she'd be able to see better in the fire - visibility was very low.

She said her friends thought she was crazy for trying this, but she felt compelled to learn more about the worthwhile work of firefighting.

"I'm drawn to anything that involves caring for people," Young said. "And this has been great. It's a real family atmosphere in the company."

And now that she's overcome her nervousness, taking off her breathing apparatus temporarily to get her heart rate checked, she's shifting her concern to something a bit less significant than fighting a 1,000-degree fire.

"I just got this expensive manicure and pedicure," she said with a laugh. "And now it's destroyed."