Firefighters Study Fire

At around 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, 13 firefighters attending Fire Academy at Jasper County Fire Station 3 in Monticello, experienced what the average person would normally run from.

They sat within a sealed shipping container in full protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus while a sizeable fire burned in front of them. The temperatures reached upwards of 600 degrees in parts of the container, and the students experienced what many would consider “hell on earth”. The students, being well-supervised by experienced senior firefighters and instructors, got their first real look at fire behavior in this course and some of the conditions they might find when responding to a structure fire within our county.

The course, commonly referred to as “NPQ1,” is a requirement by Jasper County Emergency Services, the State of Georgia, and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) for the first level of professional certification as a Firefighter I and is recognized statewide.

The course they are attending requires them to be in class two or three nights a week, with some mandatory weekend classes. During this time, students are taught both the theory and practical skills portions needed to pass the Georgia State Firefighter I exams. This is on top of their daily employment, and in addition responding to emergency calls in their assigned response areas throughout the county.

Volunteer firefighting has undergone a professional transformation in the past two decades. Gone are the days of “just show up and you are a firefighter.” Today’s volunteer stands ready to serve his or her community with professionalism and the same training you would see in a firefighter in a large metropolitan city. The only difference between them is one of them gets paid a salary and one does not.

Here in Jasper County, there are seven fire stations, all of which are manned by volunteers. Requirements to become a member of the Jasper County Emergency Services include being over the age of 18, passing a background check, and having a desire to serve the community and county.

Teens under the age of 18, having completed the eighth grade may be interested in the Fire Explorer program Jasper County Emergency Services, which educates and trains young people about the fire service and helps fast-track them into the fire service, if they desire.

Any person interested in applying to be a volunteer with the department should call Chief Jarret Slocumb at 706-468-4843.