New recruits take the heat at annual fire training class in Martin

MARTIN, Tenn. — Smoke, flames and life or death situations may not sound like elements of an environment many of us would be comfortable in, but training officers with the Martin Fire Department say they hope to make it their team’s specialty.

“Our ultimate goal is everybody goes home at the end of the day but if they don’t have the training, then we take that risk every time they respond to a call,” said Captain Kory Green, training officer with the Martin Fire Department.

Complete darkness and tight spaces are only some of the elements a firefighter must get used to.

“It’s a lot of tight spaces especially with the air pack on but, main thing is, keep calm and control the breathing. It’ll keep everything settled; but definitely a lot of tight spaces and no visibility,” said Jacob Gatewood, firefighter in training.

We went behind the scenes at a basic fire class in Martin, held once a year for new recruits.

“We basically started this program here because the local volunteer departments don’t have the funds to send people off to the fire academy, or maybe other places, to get to training,” Captain Green said.

Within this 80-hour class, Green says he tries to prepare his students for basic situations they will face during an interior attack on a house fire.

“They’ll be doing search and rescue. They’ll make a wall breach. They’ll actually go between the stud walls, continue following the hose line,” said Captain Green. “They’ll go through some confined space tunnels.”

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News Reporter Amanda Gerry geared up herself, and realized first hand, it’s not as easy as it looks.

“And then I’ve got a drop floor, and what it does is it simulates the floor falling out from underneath them,” Captain Green said.

Green admits the class consists of long hours and a lot of hard work but, students say, it is worth it.

“It takes a lot to be a fireman and do everything that we do,” said Green.

“I don’t want to be that guy on scene that doesn’t know what he’s doing or anything like that. I want to be the greatest fireman ever,” said Demarchio Lee, firefighter in training.

Instructors say once the students complete this course, they’re eligible to take their Firefighter Certification Test with the State Fire Commission. Only then can they enter a building to fight fires.

Captain Green says students come from fire stations across Weakley County to get certified, including Dresden, Sharon and Gleason.