By DAVE HAMRICK
Editor-at-large

To get some perspective on the recent announcement that Fayette County's top firefighter, Jack Krakeel, is now the nation's top firefighter, it's necessary to think about what the lives of emergency workers are like.

Like most, I used to think that firefighters sat around the fire house waiting for something to happen.

That was before I was invited to participate in a training exercise some years back. They try to make those training exercises as close to the real thing as possible, and in this one they did a pretty good job, from my perspective at least.

Someone had donated a house they wanted to get rid of, and the Fire Department agreed to burn it down, taking advantage of the opportunity to train firefighters in a real house with real flames and smoke.

First they suited me up with that 400-pound coat they make those guys wear and put me in a group of three firefighters holding a high-pressure hose. The idea was to use a wide spray pattern from the hose to protect us from the heat of the flames as we advanced on them.

On the first try, with a rookie on the hose, we didn't have the right angle or something and the pressure knocked us off our feet. On the second try, we did better and a wall of spray shielded us from the heat so well that only about 200 degrees of heat seared our faces instead of 400 or 500.

Five minutes of that and I was nearly exhausted... and that was when I was a lot younger.

Next they showed me how to use the oxygen tank, filled the house up with smoke and sent me with a group that was supposed to search for a “victim” trapped inside. That didn't seem like too tough an assignment. Breathing pure oxygen, I wouldn't have any trouble with the smoke, I surmised.

Incorrectly, as it turned out. It's much better with the tanks than without, I'm sure, but even with them your lungs are assaulted with searing smoke and the smell is almost overpowering. Your body tells you to forget the victim inside and run like the wind.

I had been told that the mask is not a 100 percent protection from the smoke, so I wasn't totally surprised. What did surprise me was how dark it was. It was broad daylight outside, and I had a big old light with me, but my light reflected off the smoke and I couldn't see more than a foot or so in front of me. At one point, I lost sight of the firefighter's feet immediately in front, and the panic started at my toes and quickly worked its way up to my throat.

`It's just a training exercise,” I had to keep telling myself.

I survived, and came away with a new appreciation for what these people do. And I had been given only a small taste.

That kind of training is designed to save people's lives, not only the lives of fire victims, but also those of the men and women who risk theirs daily to protect everyone else's lives and property.

If you work for a good fire department, your leaders make sure you get plenty of training in the almost endless variety of disasters that you might have to deal with.

What Jack Krakeel's peers have said by nominating him as the Firefighter of the Year, and what Fire Chief magazine has said by choosing him out of all the nominations, is that Fayette's chief works beyond the call of duty to make sure his people are well trained, well equipped and well supported so that the danger to them — and to you — is reduced.

Further, they're saying that he works in regional, statewide, nationwide and even international organizations to improve the level of training and knowledge among all firefighters and emergency workers.

That takes a lot of dedication. He could probably get the same pay, or pretty close to it, with a lot less effort.

Today is Jack Krakeel Day, and there's a reception 5-8 p.m. at the County Administrative Complex. Everyone is welcome.

Now you know a little more about why that's important.

Back to Opinion Home Page | Back to the top of the page