It CAN happen to you!

[doughesson]

Hope the link works.This concerns an incident down in Memphis where fire recruits are run through hose carrying and PT drills while in turnout gear.One man was put into a coma from his exertions and has recently been able to walk and talk,albeit with slurred words.
A.it shouldn't have happened,even if to show people how tough the job is.
B.We are not SEALs,Marine Recon or Army Special Forces
so driving people beyond their limits during training doesn't do anything to keep people on the job.
Yes,we will be called upon to go farther than we have in the past.But it should be after we have worked ourselves to the physical conditon required of that effort and not during training with no chance for rehab allowed.
Some friends of mine who have been trhough BUDs have said they'd have dropped the instructor that tried this.It's not allowed for the SEALs to treat people like this,so why should it go for a fire service?

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionld=46&id=45193

[BerwynFD]

I agree.

The piont of stress axcercises it to taech you your limits, and how to expand them. NOT weed people out by killing them.

The Fire service killed a young man last year the same way.

No excuses.

[johnson8]

I believe that it shouldn't be easy by no means, but then also not to the extent people start getting injured from exuastion.

[pfd4life]

In the classes I've taught, I've made it clear that any safety fu*kups, especially repetive ones will result in the whole class doing 10 pushups. It does two things, one it builds the team concept, the other thing, is that everyone learns to watch everyone's *** ALL the time. It usually only takes one or two sets to correct any issue. While physical, pushups can be done without much strain, now if I were to make them run miles, go up an down a hose tower while weraing full PPE, and carrying 2-1/2, or anything else very physical, that pushes the limits. Minor corrective discipline.

[jasper45]

While physical, pushups can be done without much strain, now if I were to make them run miles, go up an down a hose tower while weraing full PPE, and carrying 2-1/2, or anything else very physical, that pushes the limits. Minor corrective discipline.


Just an FYI, its "WEARING", not weraing.

[CaptainS]

"Coleman and others had to carry a hose up four flights of stairs, chop wood with an ax and swing a sledge hammer on a rubber mat.

Recruits dragged a dummy 100 feet, a powered hose 100 feet, raised a 35-foot ladder on a two-story building and walked across the top of the building.

They walked a mile with a 40-pound hose pack -- twice, if anyone dropped a hose.

If they were too slow, they had to drop for push-ups."

Not for nothing, sounds like a modified version of C-Pat. And if you cant carry 40 pounds over a mile time walking, time to start running.

With that being said, it does absolve DI's or instructors for not taking care of the troops.