Braceville fire district hosts junior training

BRACEVILLE – Cody Ledlow of Braceville has always had an interest in fighting fires after watching television shows like “Chicago Fire.”

His interest brought him to junior firefighter training Wednesday at the Braceville Fire Protection District, where he learned fighting real fires isn’t like what he sees on television.

“We wanted to show them what we do on a daily basis,” Braceville Fire District Lt. Michael Nicola said. “When we go into the schools we talk about fire prevention. This gives them a better chance to see what the job is. We don’t want them to think it’s like it is on TV.”

The district decided to host its first junior training to get area children in the door to learn about the job.

This way, when they are of age, they have an understanding of what a volunteer firefighter does. About 10 children attended.

“The numbers of volunteers are going down,” Braceville Fire Chief Nate Basham said. “We are mostly volunteers and it’s hard to get people to do the job for free.”

He said becoming a volunteer with Braceville’s fire district involves a lot of training and time, which many people don’t have time for.

“If we give them an idea of what we do, maybe they will grow up to do the job,” Basham said. “People watch TV and get a misconception of the job.”

The children who attended were shown the protective gear and were able to time a firefighter as he got completely dressed – including donning oxygen gear – in under a minute. Amazed, the children tried to see if they could do it in the same time.

Nathan Wozniak of Braceville said he was surprised how quickly the firefighters could get into the gear and after trying, said he couldn’t do it as quickly.

Dylan Nelson of Braceville said he likes hanging around the fire department and was excited to have the opportunity to learn more about it.

After the children tried on the protection gear, they were given the tour of the fire engine, with all its compartments opened so they could see up close what needs to be carried on the truck.

Each took turns holding hoses and hydraulic rescue tools that in some cases weighed as much as they did.

They were then taken to a modified, junior-sized training course where the children crawled through tubes, walked on beams and made their way through a series of scenarios.

“We’ve modified the training that a firefighter goes through so they are familiar with it, so when they get old enough, they know what they will need to do if they join,” Basham said. “Maybe what we do will spark an interest in a kid who hasn’t thought about it.”

Basham said his hope is the children will go back to school and talk about the experience they had so when the district hosts its next junior academy, even more children will participate.

“With this being the first academy, we are learning from it,” Basham said. “We are looking at doing it again this summer and then hope to host it every year.”

The district also is looking for adults who would like to join the fire and EMS services offered by the district to fill some vacant volunteer positions. Basham said no experience is necessary and those interested can apply in person at the station, 102 W. Main St. in Braceville.