Barnhardt 1

Rebekah Barnhardt
Barrett
AP English III
31st August 2015
What is it like to be a Firefighter?
I. What is firefighting?
A. Overview
B. Thesis: To be a firefighter one needs, prior knowledge of the career, extensive training on
specific tactics, all of the equipment to use, and the different types of transportation required.
II. Background/History
A. What is firefighting?
1. Definition
2. What it is exactly
B. First Fire Department
1. Ancient Times
2. Who? What? When? Where?
C. First act of firefighting
1. Use of bucket brigading
2. Continuity of this tactic
D. Outlook
1. Two Different Types
2. First on Scene
III. Requirements

Barnhardt 2
A. Educational
1. High School Diploma
2. Preferred 2 year associates degree
B. THE Basic Requirement
1. Be Physically Fit
C. Smaller Requirements
1. Good test results
2. Competitiveness
3. Quality Training
4. Teamwork skills
5. Organization
IV. Prior Knowledge
A. U.S. BLS Expectations (know how tos)
1. Extinguish
2. Evacuate
3. Operate Emergency Vehicles
4. Maintain Equipment
5. Public Education
B. Knowing what to expect
1. Study different scenarios
2. Study different types of tactics
V. Being Prepared
A. CPR training

Barnhardt 3
B. Physically Fit
C. Fire Science Degree
D. Take Exams & Apply
VI. Applying for the Job
A. Steps
1. Become EMT
2. Volunteer
3. Technology Class
4. Keep clean background
5. Understanding all phases of process
6. Start testing
7. Visit stations
8. Get Experience (Ride Alongs)
9. DO NOT LIE
B. Dont give up
1. Advance in career
VII. About the firefighters
A. Extraordinary People
B. Compensation
C. High Demand
D. Important
E. Hard Workers
F. Work life

Barnhardt 4
1. Hours
2. Shifts
3. On-call
G. Selfless
VIII. Volly World
A. About
B. Local
C. Foot in the door
D. Why
E. Benefits
IX. Equipment
A. Fire Hydrants
B. Fire Blanket
C. Explosives
D. Tools (Ax)
E. Hoses
F. Clothing/ Material
G. PPE
H. SCBA
I. Gear
J. Ladder
K. Sand Bucket
L. Extinguisher

Barnhardt 5
X. Emergency Vehicles
A. Fire Ambulances
B. Engines
C. Ladders
D. Trucks
E. What is the difference?
1. Addressing
2. Other clues
XI. Who goes?
A. Dispatching
1. Which company
2. Central Office
3. Dependence on severity
B. Providing vital info
1. Stating EVERYTHING
C. What is a company?
XII. Fire fighting at home
A. Personal
1. Be prepared
2. Have access
B. Systematic solutions
1. Extinguishers
2. Water

Barnhardt 6
3. Blanket
4. Detector
5. Sprinklers
VIII. Critically Thinking
A. Be Careful
1. Aggressively
2. Hazards
B. Think Ahead
1. Fire Behavior
a. Different types
2. Initiate actions
a. What actions can be taken
C. Check Before
1. Recognize weather
2. Check/ Obtain forecasts
D. Be Clear
1. Instructions
2. Supervisor
3. Your life
E. Observe
1. Constant
2. Behavior watch
3. Triple Check

Barnhardt 7
F. Keep in Contact
1. Communication
2. Members/ Supervisor
G. Safe Zones
1. What are they?
2. Establishing
3. Studying
H. Lookouts
1. Reliable
2. Well trained
I. Control
1. Location
2. Instructions
3. Assignments
4. Understanding/ Reasoning
J. Overall Critical Thinking
1. Alert
XIV. Fire Stats
A. U.S.
1. Annual Cost
2. Annual Deaths
3. Annual Averages
B. Other Countries

Barnhardt 8
1. England
XV. 3 Elements
A. The Triangle
1. Heat
2. Oxygen
3. Fuel
B. Breaking the Triangle
1. Removing
2. Interruptions
3. Extinguishing
XVI. Fun Facts
A. 1st Fire Station
1. Where
2. When
B. 1st U.S. Fire Department
1. When
C. Burning Building
1. Temp inside
D. Average fires annually
E. Ladder on Trucks
1. Highest
F. Fire Trucks
1. Pump rate