The World Firefighter Combat Challenge pits the best firefighters from around the world against each other in competition. According to WSFA 12 News, challengers will climb a five-story tower, grab a heavy hose and descend the tower again. They must then pull a 175 pound dummy down a stretch of the competition grounds, and they must do all of this while wearing 80 pounds of fire gear or more.
The world finals for this event was recently held in Montgomery, Alabama. The news source reported that over 600 firefighters showed up to compete. Many of the competitors were large, very fit men. However, Sarah Fraiser, a firefighter with the Clinton Fire Department in Mississippi, wants people to know the challenge is not just for men. In fact, 5 percent of this year's participants are women, according to the news source.
The 33-year-old mother of one told WSFA 12 News that the challenge was tough but she was proud to be a part of it. Fraiser and another female firefighter, Cheri Ardion of Louisiana, both did well enough in their brackets to move on to the next round.
The finals will take place on Oct. 24.
As gun control becomes a hotter topic and society faces the very real threat of active shooter situations, first responders have been forced to change the way they handle these incidents. First responders in southern Wisconsin have been holding training sessions to better prepare for situations in which a perpetrator attacks with a gun.
According to Fox 6 Now, the purpose of the training sessions was to teach firefighters and paramedics who answer the call of an active shooter incident how to work with police officers. One of the police captains involved told the news source that victims cannot wait while first responders organize. The various teams need to be prepared to work together so they can act quicker.
Roughly 400 first responders from Milwaukee and the surrounding areas gathered at State Fair Park to run exercises and practice working with different units.
"In these types of incidents, you're going to have hundreds of officers converging and so you may not be teamed up with members from your own police department," Greenfield Police Captain Dave Patrick told Fox 6 Now.
Oct. 22 is the last day of the training, and the first responders who participated hope the drills will help them should any active shooter situations arise in the future.
Whenever an area in Bastrop County, Texas, is in need, Mission U-Too shows up to help. The non-profit organization is known for bringing meals and comfort to their community members when disaster strikes. As wildfires tore through the area, many were left without homes and in need of a helping hand. First responders flooded the area to help put out the remaining fires and rescue people from dangerous damaged structures.
Bryan Brueggman and his fellow group members also stepped up to help.
"These are all my neighbors so it's my community, they're my family," Brueggman told KEYE TV.
Brueggman and Mission U-Too spent most of Oct. 20 hand delivering meals to first responders working the scenes of the fire and providing medical services to the injured. He and the group wanted to make sure that the individuals who were helping their community were well taken care of.
Mission U-Too has delivered over 5,000 meals in the last week, according to KEYE TV, and the group does not intend to slow down. Brueggman told the news source that he and his organization would be around and continue to provide meals as long as people needed them.
First responders like police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service workers spend every day making sure their communities are safe and community members are healthy. These individuals do their job without expecting reward or gratitude. They are driven to serve, and so that is what they do. Yet, the community of Charleston, South Carolina, found a way to make sure these first responders knew they were appreciated.
On Oct. 20, the Charleston Public Safety Council, a non-profit organization that supports local safety initiatives, hosted its annual first responder event. The "Salute to Public Safety" luncheon was a time for the first responders in the area to gather at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel in downtown Charleston for lunch and an award ceremony, as reported by the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
As the first responders dined together, awards were given to those that had gone above and beyond the call of duty. The news source wrote that Detective Jarl Taylor was named Charleston Police Officer of the Year and Capt. David Basham was honored as Charleston Firefighter of the Year.
Awards for Telecommunicator of the Year and Firefighter EMS of the Year were also given.
Over 10,000 military medics entered life after service in 2012, according to the Daily Journal, and that number has only risen. Many of those medics have the skills and training to work in first responder jobs. One Act of Congress hopes to make it easier for these veterans to pursue careers as emergency medical technicians.
The Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2015 will expedite the certification process and make it easier for veterans to get jobs as EMTs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistic's Occupational Outlook reported a 23 percent growth rate of emergency medical jobs between 2012 and 2022. That is about 55,000 new jobs available for veterans. The BLS hopes that some of these positions will be filled by veterans and help reduce combat veteran unemployment.
Some major components of the Act include waivers for veterans when it comes to state requirements, giving priority to states in need of first responders and an amendment to the Public Health Service Act which would make a certification fast track for veterans.
The Act was introduced in February and is still under examination and has yet to be voted on.
Every job comes with a certain amount of stress. For first responders that stress may be a little tougher to deal with. The events that firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians experience on a daily basis can lead to things like post-traumatic stress and other neurological disorders if they are not properly addressed. To keep the members of your station happy and mentally healthy, you should establish a safe zone. AFBA has outlined some ways you can make your station a place where your fellow first responders can address their problems.
Hold group sessions
You and your coworkers may not always have time to get together and chat, but if possible, set aside a time when you can all come together. This will be a time when you can vocalize the stresses of the job and help each other work through them. Even the members of your crew who are not experiencing stress can participate by sharing positive stories that may help someone else in the group.
Create a stress-free environment
Even though stations may be full of hustle and bustle, it is important to keep the workplace free of unnecessary stresses. By keeping the station clean, organized and clutter free, you can help things run smoother. Your coworkers will appreciate the effort you have put into reducing the number of things they have to worry about.
Encourage them to leave the job at work
As a first responder, you understand the drive to serve your community. It can be difficult to stop serving when the shift is over. You can help your team reduce their risk of mental stress by reminding them to leave the job behind when they go home. Let them know that it is OK to enjoy time at home and leave the station behind.
Have helplines available
Sometimes your coworkers who need help or advice may not want to talk to you or other first responders. Keep information like suicide prevention hotlines, depression counseling numbers and PTSD resources readily available and easily accessible around the station. This way coworkers can use it when they need to.
Being a first responder means that you may experience some difficult situations in your career. However, knowing that you have a safe space to return to can help you cope with the stresses of the job. By establishing your station as a safe zone for you and your fellow coworkers, you could help reduce the risk of PTSD and other stress-related disorders.
First responders are trained to deal with a variety of situations, but until recently, very few had received training on how to handle emergency situations in which a person with autism was involved. A Northern Nevada group called JUSTin Hope is trying to change that.
Nevada-local Justin Reitz is the inspiration for the foundation. When Reitz was diagnosed with autism, his family wanted to create a safer world for him and those like him. The foundation is committed to helping first responders better understand autism, so that they may be better prepared should an emergency situation involve a diagnosed person.
The training explains that people with autism may have difficulty following commands like, "Put your hands up," and they may panic when confronted with an unfamiliar situation. According to KOLOtv.com, first responders were taken through a crash course on autism and possible symptoms. During the two-hour session, Training Coordinator Jeannie Dwyer showed first responders the most effective methods for communicating with people with autism.
The purpose of the JUSTin Hope training sessions and others like it is to create a better understanding of autism so that first responders are adequately prepared when they encounter individuals with the spectrum disorder.
On Oct. 11, Tony Constanzo completed his mission to run across Texas in honor of fallen first responders. Constanzo was inspired to make the journey so that people would remember the sacrifice of first responders everywhere. Battling shin splints, blisters and many more ailments, Constanzo pushed on to complete his mission, drawing inspiration from the sacrifice of his fallen comrades.
"I want to make sure we never forget them. As a 31-year firefighter I don't want to ever forget them," Constanzo told Fox 13 News.
The former firefighter ran over 420 miles, according to the news source. During his journey, he raised awareness for Footsteps for the Fallen, an organization he founded to remember all fallen first responders and honor their families. His run also served as a fundraiser to provide scholarships for children of first responders who died in the line of duty.
Along the route, he stopped at museums and took in the sights. While he is proud of his accomplishment, Constanzo told Fox 13 News that he does not plan to run again next year. Instead, he is hoping to complete a road trip, during which he would order two beers at every bar he stopped at and leave one for a fallen first responder.
When football players take the field, they are usually deep in their own thoughts and focus. They may be psyching themselves up for the game or running through assignments in their head. However, one high school football player in Louisiana recently chose to direct his attention to the veterans in attendance at the game.
Chase Hill, #83 on the Parkway High School team, left his teammates as they were rushing onto the field for the second half to individually thank all the veterans who were at the game. The Oct. 9 game in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, was dedicated to servicemembers, veterans and first responders. However, Hill took the time to shake every veteran's hand and thank them for their service.
According to KSLA 12 News, one of the people at the game took a photo of Hill's actions and posted it to the Bossier Parish Police Department Facebook page. The photo quickly went viral, receiving thousands of comments and shares, all of them praising Hill's respect for the veterans.
The Daily Caller reported that the police department praised Hill on their website, calling him a class act.
Many U.S. citizens proudly fly the American flag in show of support for the country and its servicemembers. One Pennsylvania woman wanted to create a flag that would also show support for first responders.
Lillian Germaine of West Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has always had a deep respect for the first responders in her community, according to New Castle News. The 84-year-old recently decided to take her admiration of police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service workers to the next level. Germaine partnered with her nephew, a graphics artist, to design a flag that represented all branches of first responders.
"I always had flags in my yard," she told the news source.
Germaine went on to say that she was never able to find one that represented first responders in a way that she wanted. That was when she decided to start an organization called CIntoG. Through her nonprofit, she raised all the money to create her flag and distribute her flag. Germaine and her nephew plan to sell their products in the ceremony-worthy banner size of 5-by-8-foot and the more personal 3-by-5 foot size.
She hopes to use the local event Light-Up-Night on Nov. 12 to spark a major interest in her work.
According to New Castle News, all profits from Germaine's flag sales will be donated to local first responders.