LAWTON Okla_ Firefighters
will tell you that they are all family, even if they fight fires hundreds of
miles apart.
That's why
firemen in Lawton are, mourning two Texas firefighters who
died last week, after being trapped in an abandoned banquet hall that caught
fire. Local firemen say it really puts the dangers of their job in perspective.
Lawton firefighters agree
the best way they can honor the fallen firefighters is to find out what
actually happened and tailor their own training to try and keep it from
happening here.
Wednesday, the nation,
and specifically people in Bryan,
Texas, is remembering Greg Pickard
and Eric Wallace. Lawton
firefighters say losing someone in your department is unthinkable.
"To have
one from your own department die, in the line of duty during the course of a
battle, I think that would be very heart wrenching," LFD Training Officer
Jared Williams said.
That's why he
will look closely at the investigative report of what happened Saturday in Texas and will adapt his
training accordingly.
"If we can
answer the question ‘Why?', then we can hopefully keep that happening to one of
our personnel," Williams said.
Any new
training they come up with will be added to the hours of training that recruits
already go through, before they fight their first real fire.
"Once you
get your bunker gear on, your SBCA on, you get that feeling of invincibility,"
Williams said. "It's important that you are aware of your situation and aware
of what's going on, so you know when it's time to call for help," Williams
said.
They call that
call for help "Mayday". Through Mayday Training, they are taught to use their
personal alert safety system. You might be surprised how familiar you are with
the system. Firefighters carry something called a pass device, and when they're
in trouble, all they have to do is hit a button. The loud noise helps a rapid
intervention team find their distressed comrade. The alarm will also sound if a
fireman is still for more than 30 seconds.
"It makes
me feel comfortable in my skills and ability," Lawton Firefighter Brandon
Bailey said.
The men around
them keep them confident they will go home at the end of a long day.
"You're
working as a team," Lawton Firefighter Brent Kephart said. "You live with guys
24 hours a day, 3 days a week. You're looking out for them, and they're looking
out for you."
Officer Williams
said the firefighters of Lawton FD are their most valuable asset, and they will
do anything needed to keep them safe.
Williams could only look back 30 years. In that 30 years, he said the Lawton
Fire Department has not lost a fireman in the line of duty.
