CAREER & VOLUNTEER PARTNERSHIP

Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue and Citrus County Department of Public Safety partnered to train members of the Indian Rocks Volunteer Fireman’s Association (IRVFA) for the purpose of completing their 160 hour Firefighter I certification. 

They traveled 75 miles each way, across 3 counties, courtesy of Citrus County Training Chief Fred Beckner, in order to learn first hand how their enemy (fire) reacts to their personal efforts to have him (fire) lay down and die. They learned how a fire “breathes”, how the products of combustion overcome the free air creating a toxic atmosphere subject to flashover, back draft or explosion. They learned how the fire turns their water to steam and multiplies it 1700 times itself, how it affects those who move within the steam by its extreme heat, causing burns or blisters beneath the bulky clothing they are required to wear for protection when confronted by this “enemy”.

It’s a learning experience few are exposed to, as well as a rewarding one when you overcome your “enemy” through education and training. These people are a special breed willing to give of their personal time, expenses, away from their families, exposing themselves to challenges that create a kinship that lasts a lifetime.