She learned firefighting from the inside

Monday, July 10, 2000

She learned firefighting from the inside

Colerain firefighter's wife gets better understanding of job at 'Citizen's Fire Academy'

Dina Stemen endures the heat of a controlled burn in the training tower.
(Glenn Hartong photos)
| ZOOM |

Dina Stemen is no stranger to firefighting.

The 28-year-old Colerain Township woman has plenty of experience just listening to her husband. Lt. Ron Stemen has worked for the township fire department for 11 years. He specializes in arson investigation, and about two years ago he became a certified paramedic.

And Lt. Stemen is plenty busy, working for the Tristate's second largest firefighting operation, behind only Cincinnati's. The department, which has about 160 firefighters, responded to more than 5,000 emergency medical services calls and about 2,300 fire and customer service calls in 1999.

Mrs. Stemen wasn't satisfied just listening to the stories her husband would tell every night when he came home from work. When the township offered its first “Citizen's Fire Academy,” she wanted to see if she could handle the job too. So she enrolled to get some hands-on training in fire services.

Mrs. Stemen kept a journal of her 10-week experience, which ended in late June. Here are excerpts:

As I sit in the front of the class listening to the introduction to the Citizen's Fire Academy, I think to myself: “What have I gotten myself into.” We'll be climbing ladders, learning to put a breathing tube down someone's throat and going into a burning building?

Then, we get to take pagers home so we can listen to the dispatches at home. (I keep mine on all night the first night, but turn it off every night after that because I can't sleep with it on. I didn't realize how many calls go in one single night, in one single hour.)

Supervisor David Matthews says the center receives up to 1,100 calls on an average weeknight. He explains how calls are processed and carried out, how shifts are staffed around the clock with an increased number of dispatchers during “peak” times and how the computer picks up a call and sends it to a dispatcher.

While a 911 operator talks to the caller, a dispatcher sends out emergency vehicles. The 911 operators can give the caller specific emergency directions while the dispatcher gets help on the way.

We watch calls come in and see how smoothly information flows from the phone line to the 911 operator to the dispatcher. I am impressed by the teamwork on every call. I imagine the job must be very stressful.

Tonight's class is at “Fire Ground Operations” at the training tower on Springdale Road, Assistant Chief Marvin Sheets Jr. gives us a tour inside the five-story tower and explains how it is used.

The first thing I notice is how dark it is inside. The walls are black and covered with soot and burned debris. It smells smoky and the air is hot and thick, even though it hasn't been used for a few days.

We learn some basic ladder operations. These ladders are heavy. It is awkward to run with one unless you and your partner are in sync. The ladders aren't the same; we have to learn different set-ups for them, depending on their angle and how they are used.

We maneuver a very tall ladder up against the wall of the training tower. I am reluctant when I look up. I am terrified of heights and I think I won't be able to climb it.

I take a deep breath and start to climb, not looking down, only up. I surprise myself and want to move on to something bigger and higher.

Well, I get what I asked for — they bring on the aerial ladder on top of the pumper truck. The only differences are that it was taller and it didn't get propped up against a wall. It was all in the air. My heart races and my knees grow weak. But, again I surprise myself and make it. I get down faster than up, that's for sure!

Then, we get to try on fire gear. We learn about different kinds of fire extinguishers and how to put out different kinds of fires. We even get to put some small fires out using the hose, which is a lot of fun. The class works hard together as a team — even during clean up.

Captain Greg Brown, Dale VonBargen and James Henderson explain the different levels of Emergency Medical Technicians and the hours of training required to get and keep their certificates. I learn that firefighting and EMS service play a dual role for things like: Quick response, performance and safety, continuation of care and a higher patient survival rate.

We watch videos, including a heart-breaking scene of a 2-year-old drowning victim in San Jose, Calif. It is graphic and disturbing. It shows the firemen and EMTs working to save this boy's life, but he dies later at the hospital. I ask myself if I would be able to endure this in real life. I know I cannot.

Then, we learn how to intibate a patient. (This involves sticking the breathing tube down the throat). It is harder to do than it looks. We also learn how to do an intraosseous infusion (an IV access used mostly on a pediatric patient when intravenous access is unavailable) and practice it on a thawed-out chicken. It is very tricky, but I accomplish it.

Now, the fun begins. We divide into teams and stabilize one of our teammates on a backboard, securing the neck and strapping the person down. We then lift the person up on the board and turn the board around 180 degrees.

Tonight, the class topic is fire prevention. We learn how the inspection department tries to detect fire hazards in existing buildings, reviews new building plans, investigates citizen complaints and issues permits.

Breaking down into teams, we view pictures on an overhead projector and try to see how many violations of fire code we can find. It turns us all into investigators.

Tonight, we get to try on fire gear and crawl through a dark, small maze as training for finding fire victims.

It is a hot evening. I put on the heavy “Self Contained Breathing Apparatus.” Then, I put on the face mask and breathing tank which makes it much heavier. I start crawling on my hands and knees through the maze. It is a very confined space, making it difficult to maneuver while wearing all of the heavy gear.

I go through it again without the gear on, thinking it is going to be much easier. Well, it is, but it is still hard to maneuver around the tight corners and small spaces.

Finally, we get to the class we have worked so hard to be able to attend — the live burn. We meet at the training tower to receive our instructions and put on our gear and breathing apparatus.

Large bails of hay are used to burn the inside of the tower. I enter the tower with my partner, crawling low to the ground. The suit and gear are very heavy. The door shuts behind us. The fire lights up the room for a while until the thick, heavy, black smoke fills it. The smoke starts to rise and we sit there, low on the floor, waiting for the temperature to rise.

Firefighters on the outside monitor the fire and use radios to let us know how hot it is getting.

The mask is tight to my face as I breathe in the cool air from the tank. As the fire starts getting hotter, I could feel the air in my tank getting warmer. That in turn, makes my face sweat underneath the mask. It starts to get very uncomfortable.

The temperature rises to 500-degrees, then 550 and 600. The firefighters decide to take us out of the tower. We crawl out and take our masks off, then our gear.

I notice it had gotten so hot inside that the clothes I had worn underneath the gear are soaked. I am told that I experienced only half the temperature firefighters can endure when putting out a fire.

As I think about what firefighters go through, I realize it is a vigorous and physically demanding job. I realize how hard these brave men and women train and how dangerous their work is.

But, most of all, I realize they definitely are not paid anything close to what they are worth. To risk your life every day to save other people's lives should be more valuable than hitting a home run or running fast like our professional athletes. Yet the athletes are paid millions. It makes me wonder.

Colerain Township still has a few vacancies for the Citizens Fire Academy which begins Sept. 6. Colerain Township residents will receive first preference. The number of people admitted to each session is limited to 16. Classes will last for 10 weeks.



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