'A rappelling trainer dangles some 30 feet above the ground as firefighters study techniques, awaiting their turn.'
DAEGU GARRISON — It should come as no surprise that there are some jobs that are considered to be among the happiest. On the other hand, many might find it hard to believe that among those types of jobs, a job such as firefighter is on that list. According to a General Social Survey report by the National Organization for Research at the University of Chicago, 80 percent of firefighters are “very satisfied” with their job, which as we all know, involves helping people. What’s more, the data suggest that this satisfaction cannot be so easily explained.
One might assume that the latter is true because of all that goes into the process of becoming a firefighter. Indeed, it's no cake walk. The job is about risks, but for the firefighter, it's about caring about the safety and welfare of others, and it's a message that is constantly being reiterated. During a Safety Standown held May 26, at the Camp Walker Chapel, representatives from the USAG Daegu Department of Emergency Services delivered to a captive audience a number of fire related safety messages. The training included everything from using the barbecue grill safely, to not leaving food unattended when cooking. For the Soldiers, and Department of Defense civilians in attendance, the message was something they'd heard before, but one they knew was worth repeating.
In order to provide quality training to the members of the Area IV community means Garrison firefighters have to make sure they stay on top of all training required by firefighters. According to Brad Bowling, Fire Chief, USA Daegu, firefighters are required to go through lots of classes throughout the year. He said, "Our training is intense. We have a minimum of 200 classes that we have to go through annually." Bowling said that a very difficult part of the training involves the Rescue Technician Class. "The Rescue Technician Class gives firefighters the training needed to perform things like high-angle, below-grade, confined space rescue."
Just recently the Garrison firefighters participated in training that tested their will. Said Bowling, "The training ran for three weeks and was one of the toughest courses in the DoD fire certification program. Around the world, it has a 50 to 65 percent failure rate. It's a tough and very demanding course, but our Daegu team did very well."
An advanced level of proficiency training, the course consisted of a variety of topics that included, but were not limited to anchor systems, knots and high lines. Bowling said a lot of hands on training was involved, and considering that a lot of the material had to be translated into Korean, the results were a testament to the hard work our Korean team put into obtaining this high rate of achievement.
"The Rescue Technician Class was great. We are trained at the same level associated with the training they conduct in the United States, using the same certification requirements of any U.S. fire department. The only difference is that we have as part of our team, some of the best Korean firefighters anywhere, to assist us in providing the USAG Daegu and Area IVcommunity the best possible service and support," said Bowling.
