Firefighters in Training

At a time on Sunday mornings, when a lot of people are either heading to church or deciding to sleep in, volunteer firefighters are training at the city’s Plumtrees Road fire training school.

On Sunday, 17 students who are already working as volunteers in volunteer departments around the city and in neighborhing towns, were learning how to put out wood fires, oil and gas fires and they were learning how to hook up to fire hydrants.

“Every Sunday I have three choices,” said Lauren Symon of Danbury, a volunteer with the Miry Brook Volunteer Fire Department. She can sleep in, she can go to work or she can go to fire training school.

 “I’d rather come here,” said Paul Melnick, a volunteer with Botsford Fire Rescue in Newtown. Symon agreed with him.

 Up until the volunteer fire fighters pass their Fire Fighter I certification, they work at fires and on rescues in certain specific capacities, such as remaining safely outside of a burning building, helping with hoses and with other duties. Melnick, for example, has helped with post-fire reviews called overhauls.

 “I’ve been doing this for eight years,” Melnick said.

 The students will take one or two classroom classes a week and one practical class, such as they had on Sunday. That class runs from January to June or late May.

 Instructor Jeff Tomchik said the students learn each fire fighting technique step by step. As the students approached a burning pile of pallets, they recited the drill. While keeping an eye on the fire, they checked the gauge on the fire extinguisher. Yes, it had enough water for use. Yes, it was water, which is appropriate for a Class A fire (wood and other household materials like wood.) While keeping an eye on the fire, pull the pin, squeeze the trigger to make sure the nozzle and hose are not clogged, and approach the fire, but not too close. Spray the base of fire and sweep the fire. Walk away from the fire without turning your back on the fire.

“Always keep your eyes on the fire,” said instructor Terence Timan. “Back away.”