Frankfort Fire Protection District
A Typical Day As A Firefighter
Many people still maintain the vision of firefighters sitting around the table at the firehouse, playing cards or checkers, waiting for the next fire to occur.
Those days disappeared many decades ago and your fire department has evolved into a multi-faceted public service agency with an ever-increasing workload. Firefighters today are expected to have knowledge and maintain skill in a seemingly endless variety of topics including: Emergency medical treatment, hazardous materials, computers and technology, public education, fire protection systems, apparatus and equipment operation and maintenance, public administration, public relations and of course firefighting.
This is why we cannot say that there is a "typical day" at the Fire Department. Each day or "shift" brings the firefighter new training, opportunities and challenges. Firefighters work a 24-hour shift followed by 48 hours off.
Firefighters are public servants that help control fires and educate the public on fire safety. These professionals undergo strict training to learn fire safety, control, equipment operation and some medical skills.
A day in the life of a firefighter can vary greatly depending on the number and type of calls the fire department receives. Firefighters respond to different kinds of emergencies, including fires, vehicle accidents and medical emergencies. Firefighters typically spend their days maintaining the fire station, fire engine and equipment, training their bodies and training on fire safety and prevention. On a call, firefighters face dangerous situations and help others in need.
Control and Douse Fires
The primary duty of a firefighter is to control and eventually douse structure fires, wild fires, and vehicle fires. Using specialized equipment, our firefighters control the spread, temperature and severity of fires and eventually douse them completely. We can respond to a variety of fires, including:
Structure Fires: Houses, commercial or industrial buildings or any man-made structure that catches fire.
Wild Fires: Fires that occur in nature, typically starting in woodland or plains areas and that are difficult to control.
Explosions: Explosions can often produce fires, and, depending on the explosive agent, can cause acutely dangerous fire patterns
Vehicle Fires: Cars, trucks, semis, forklifts, construction equipment, and agricultural equipment can all catch on fire while being operated.
Determine The Cause Of A Fire
The district has several highly trained investigators who help to determine the cause of a fire. Learning the cause of a fire is important to providing education on fire prevention and determining whether the fire started accidentally or due to arson. Our investigators have advanced knowledge in fire-starting agents and can read burn patterns to determine a fire's origin, fuel and the extent of the damage.
Provide Emergency Medical Care
Our firefighters are also trained as Paramedics. A paramedic can provide Advanced Life Support, while a EMT can provide Basic Life Support. Frankfort firefighters respond in ambulances or fire engines to provide emergency medical care. All Frankfort fire engines and ladder trucks can provide the same advanced life support services that an ambulance can. The Ambulances are used to transport patients to the hospital. This is why a fire engine may arrive first when an ambulance has been requested.
Provide Fire Safety Training and Education for the Public
Our firefighters often provide public outreach, education and training on fire safety and prevention. This includes visiting local schools to teach children fire safety or running mock fire safety simulations. This program is an important component in the public's awareness of fire hazards and helps to prevent accidental fires each year, especially in children. Organizations may ask about a tour of our station to learn more about the daily lives of firefighters, the equipment we use and where we work.
Maintain Equipment and Vehicles
Our firefighters help maintain the fire engines and vehicles and equipment. This can include regular inspections and documentation of any defects and addressing equipment issues. For example, firefighters typically clean and organize the fire engine to ensure it's ready for an emergency and might also perform minimal vehicle repairs. Firefighters also verify the integrity of air packs, fire suits, hazmat suits and other crucial equipment to ensure it's in working order prior to a call. Proper equipment maintenance helps prevent accidents and keeps the firefighter safe during an emergency.
Complete Documentation for Calls
Each call requires a specific documentation that firefighters complete and file at the fire station. Emergency medical calls might require patient care sheets or summaries and vehicle accidents might require a full report on the extent of injuries, mechanism of injury and passenger status. Fires require reports on the extent of the fire, possible ignition source and fuel that accelerated the fire. A firefighter's report can be valuable for law enforcement investigations, litigation or creating training programs for preventing similar incidents. For example, a firefighter might identify a children's electronic toy as the cause of a fire, prompting a recall.
Respond to Hazardous Materials Calls
Our members also respond to hazardous materials calls for cleanup and site management. They can also transport any injured persons from the site and provide emergency medical care for chemical spills or burns. HAZMAT, or hazardous materials, are chemicals and other materials that pose a risk to humans, wildlife or the environment. For example, firefighters might respond to a crude oil spill in a populated area since raw crude oil can be dangerous for the soil and contact with skin. They work closely with law enforcement and other HAZMAT experts to determine the cause of the incident and maintain site integrity.
Manage incident scenes
Whether it's a car accident, fire or other emergency, firefighters help manage the incident site. This includes keeping bystanders away from dangerous materials or areas, working with local police to direct resources and identify criminal activity and oversee cleanup efforts. Firefighters also help ensure the integrity of incident sites, especially if there's a current criminal investigation. They might also explain the incident to the public via news reporters or published reports.
Daily Schedule:
Our firefighters start at 0800 with roll call, which is an update of daily events, exchange of information from the shift going off duty.
Perform equipment and apparatus checks.
Attend to station duties, such as cleaning and maintenance of equipment and stations.
Lunch - The firefighters pool their money and buy groceries for lunch and dinner. Some shifts have certain firefighters who usually do all the cooking because they enjoy it; other shifts rotate the cooking duties.
Afternoons could be spent in training, doing fire inspections of local businesses, apartments and manufacturing facilities, or participating in community events.
The firefighters eat dinner.
Stand-by time - Some firefighters use this time to complete incident reports, training or special projects, watch television, study or workout. Each station has a workout room.
The shift is relieved at 0800 by the oncoming shift.
Calls
Throughout the 24-hour time period, our firefighters respond to an average of 15 calls for service. 65% of our emergency calls are for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT)/Paramedic service. The remaining 35% of calls are for fire suppression, extrication, confined space rescue, ice rescue, and water rescue.
The District is on pace to respond to 5500 calls for service in 2023.