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Instead of just telling the community about the daily life of a firefighter. the Lehi Fire Department decided to literally put them into their boots.
Eleven community members, including City Council members, business representatives and other curious Lehi citizens got the chance to experience several life-saving experiences first-hand. The day first started with a presentation by Fire Captain Ricky Evans about the daily schedule of a firefighter. As soon as the presentation was open, they learned how to treat a heart attack. The participants were then suited up in proper equipment and driven to Lehi Block who donated their resources for a controlled environment. West Coast Towing also donated four wrecked cars. Once at Lehi Block, the participants learned how to use the "jaws of life" to pry a victim out of a wrecked vehicle and used the fire hose to extinguish a burning car. Then a dummy had to be "rescued" from a pitch-black cinderblock kiln, which resembled a burning building. "Today was just the coolest," said Chuck Lovelady, pastor of Timpanogos Baptist Church. "These guys just have such a high level of professionalism, and it has been so neat to see what a part of their training is like." The day's activities served another purpose for Lovelady, as his son Ben got to come along and celebrate his 12th birthday. Fire Chief Dale Ekins said that although this is the first time the city has put on this "Day in the life of a firefighter," they hope to make it an annual occurrence in order for the community to know just what happens when they make a 911 phone call. "Sometimes it takes awhile for us to get to the scene of an accident, and the general community just doesn't understand what exactly goes into each emergency response call," Ekins said. "By letting the community actively participate with the fire department, they will understand the enormous amount of work that goes into their job." Jamie Davidson, the Lehi city administrator, was one of the participants involved in the activities. Davidson said that he had "no idea" how tiring the demands on a firefighter are. The Lehi Fire Department currently has 18 full-time employees and over 30 volunteers, Ekins said. This is the second year that full-time firefighters have been working at the station. With the growth of the Lehi community, a second station is being built and the city will be hiring 13 new firefighters and will purchase two new trucks and equipment Davidson said. The new station is scheduled to be completed by April of 2009. |
