FIREFIGTHER INTERVIEW

Firefigther Interview

Firefigther Interview

Introduction

Mark, 27, has been a firefighter with the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) for two and a half years. He is a rope rescue field trainer for the department's high angle rescue team. This team responds to rescues where ropes must be used to access people, i.e., a window washer stranded outside the fortieth floor of a high-rise. After high school, he attended the Alberta Fire Training School in Vermilion, Alberta, where he took courses that met the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 standard which outlines qualifications for professional firefighters. These courses ranged from basic fire behaviour to pump operations and hazardous materials response. He currently works in downtown Calgary where the department responds to about 6,300 calls per year.

Answers to Questions

Ans(1):To become a fire-fighter I had to go through quite a rigorous number of tests. It started off with some written tests; in English language, in basic arithmetic, in verbal reasoning. If you were successful in this, you then had to go and do a physical which included heights, making sure that you were okay with heights, working in confined spaces (claustrophobic test), and also a weight section where you had to lift certain weights above your shoulders and using various muscles to simulate the lifting that we do in the job. Once this was done we then had to do a "bleep test". At the time when I joined, you had to get to level ten on the "bleep test".

Ans(2): I like the variety of challenges that are presented each and every day. I never know what will be thrown at me on any given day. I also like the excitement of responding to an emergency. My least favourite part of the job is seeing kids get hurt.

Ans(3): here will continue to be wildfire ...