Recruits get training with fire ahead of graduation from the Connecticut Fire Academy

The current class from the Connecticut Fire Academy is nearing the completion of their training, but not before getting some hands-on experience with actual fire.

It’s a critical step in the academy program.

Recruits spend a total of three days getting multiple simulated runs with fire, learning something with every pass.

The fire is fully set up and in a controlled setting with instructors on hand, but skills range from breaching doors, to laying hose and physically fighting active flames.

“Initially it’s a little challenging, but once you focus on the skills, the job you’re supposed to be doing, things come a lot easier,” said Abia Smith, a recruit with this class.

He had been doing EMS and received paramedic certification over the last five years, but working around firefighters, he wanted to give it a go himself as a career.

He is one of 37 in this year’s class, and after 11 weeks of instruction, it was time to apply what he learned.

“As you can see, just kind of putting all the things together, all the logistics, all the equipment that goes into this, so,” Smith said.

The work is stressful, both physically and mentally, but that’s the whole point.

“I think its just important for them to experience it now so they can make mistakes, ask questions, and retrain,” said Joseph McElroy, coordinator for the recruit program with the Connecticut Fire Academy.

Instructors say it’s about being able to make mistakes in this setting, so they don’t happen in a real-life incident.

“Anything in life, you have to actually physically do it sometimes, and once you miss a victim, you learn from that, I didn’t even see that room, the rooms were a lot bigger than we thought it was, I was running out of air too early,” McElroy said.

It’s the application of classroom skills where critical learning happens. Recruits will get to fight fires on various floors of buildings, rescue victims, and get practice in a harsh setting.

“When you’re in classroom, you’re listening, learning theory and stuff, but when you come here, you realize you open the door, you can’t see, and it’s really that dark, and we couldn’t find the fire,” McElroy said.

It’s the instructors, who in many cases are fighting the fires with the recruits, who ensure firefighters are ready for the front lines.

“Communication is extremely important in an environment where we can’t see one another and we are unsure of what is going on,” one instructor said during a debriefing with a group fresh out of the simulation.

Despite the intense and in-depth nature of the training, Smith is looking forward to joining the Hamden Fire Department.

“It’s definitely a rewarding career, and I’d recommend it to anyone that wants to do it,” Smith said.

The recruits are set to graduate the academy in May.

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