Chesapeake Fire Department
Class 40 Recruit School Pictures

Week 4 - (July 8 - 14th) 2007

The “Fighting 40” are really coming together as one class. Everyday they are showing improvements in P.T. Beginning this Friday, and every Friday afterwards, our physical fitness instructor has added “fun P.T.” (isn’t all P.T. fun?) which is known as McFadden Ball. The Red Team won the inaugural game of McFadden Ball and therefore own the bragging rights for the week. McFadden Ball is fun, but it is also designed to improve the recruits’ cardiovascular fitness and develop team building skills. McFadden Ball was a great hit and the recruits enjoyed the experience.

Battalion 1 started their EMT-E training this week. They learned about the roles and responsibilities of becoming an EMT-E. The rest of the week was spent covering a wealth of subjects including the cell and cellular environment, the cardiovascular system, basic pharmacology and they finished the week learning about I.V. access.

Battalion 2 is in their third week of EMT-B and are learning about cardiac emergencies, acute abdominal emergencies and diabetic emergencies. One of the highlights of the week was learning how to deliver a baby. All class members have a new found respect for all the mothers of the world. Thursday the class spent all day doing practical training in patient assessment, communicating with patients, and learning how to properly document an EMS call.

Battalion 3 had one of the most important weeks of their training. This week was spent learning how to use their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). The recruits were taught how to properly inspect and care for a SCBA. They then learned how to put on the unit, how to crawl through very tight openings, and maneuver their body while wearing the SCBA. At the end of the week the recruits faced one of their toughest challenges in completing confined space training. The confined space training included crawling through the Maze trailer in full protective gear. The Maze trailer is a forty foot trailer that has three separate floors. The floors are only 36” high and 36” wide and it is so dark that you can not see your hand in front of your face.