Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 28, 1990 TAG: 9004280271
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: AUDREY OSBORNE SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
"I really didn't feel like getting out of bed. For a minute I thought of turning off my beeper and rolling back over to sleep," Kurtis Whitt, a volunteer student firefighter, said.
But Whitt and his four companions forfeited slumber to rescue the burning house.
"That's firefighting at its worst," John Stone, another volunteer, said. "Everything went wrong that day. We had no communication with each other because our radios were down, and then the fire truck battery died. When we finally got to the house, the water froze inside the pump and the air in our air masks froze. After the fire was out, we all had icicles hanging from our suits."
Despite the bad days the five Radford Fire Department firefighters, all attending either Radford University or New River Community College, said they believe rewards of firefighting are worth the sacrifices.
Often the students, who are majoring in fields such as architecture, political science and business management, are seen frantically running across campus to respond to a call. "We carry our beepers at all times and keep our fire gear in our cars," Stone said.
The students agree that their teachers are extremely understanding when they must rush out of class. And almost all of the students have part-time jobs as well, which they must skip out on occasionally. The only time they don't respond to calls is during final-exam week when they turn off their beepers.
"Being in the department has helped me in scheduling my time better. I make sure my class work gets done first," Ray Robertson said.
The students also have experience varying from one to 12 years with the department. Many of the students were recruited because their relatives are firefighters. Others got interested by going out on a call with one of their firefighter friends.
"I remember hopping in the car with Kurt when he was called to a fire and loving every minute of it," Jeff Caldwell said. "I was in the car looking at the map to see where the fire was and was really getting into the chase. Soon after, I joined the force."
But no matter how they began, all seemed to assimilate and work well together. "Once you're in, it becomes an obligation. You can't get away from it," Robertson said.
"To me, firefighting means loyalty to the department and your brothers and the will to help others by putting your life on the line," David McGhinnis said.
"We're like a family. Even with other firefighters in the country," Stone said. The group said they are still lamenting the recent January deaths of two firefighters in Danville.
Becoming a volunteer firefighter is not automatic. All the students went through a six-month probationary period where they just watched others in action to get a feel for the job. Then they needed to get state certified, which entails 75 hours of class time. This is the first level of state certification which allows the volunteers to go into burning buildings. Levels two and three direct the volunteer through search and rescue, and finally on to teaching of firefighting methods in the department.
The students say they are comfortable working with each other and have implicit trust in their partners. They practice protecting each other when going into a burning building, using water hoses and learning maintenance of the vehicles and fire apparatus by drilling each Monday night at various locations in Radford.
When the students battle a real fire, they said, the risks are not thought about until after the fire is out.
"There are times when you look back at a building that was on fire and you start to shudder," Caldwell said. "But you never think about the danger when you're actually fighting the fire. If you did, you'd never go into the building to begin with."
Robertson said: "One time I was putting out a fire at Radford University's Dedmon Center and when I got done I looked down to see I was balancing myself only on a pipe. In any other circumstance, that would have scared me."
The students have not-so-dire experiences, too.
"One guy got mad because we wouldn't save his iguana. But it turned out that the iguana was still living after the fire. I was really surprised it didn't die from smoke inhalation," Stone said. Pets are a major consideration in a fire situation, he added.
The student firefighters encourage young people to get involved by holding a Fireman's Day at Radford High School each spring.
This year, volunteers will set a house on fire and then battle the blaze so the students can see what's involved in fighting fires.
"To get into this business you have to be serious, though. You can't get into it for the status, you must be dedicated," Stone said.
by CNB