Gear Training (Part 1 of 4) | Putting on Firefighter Bunker Gear | Firefighter Spouse Training

In this training video, instructor Melissa McKiernan teaches firefighters how to secure impalements and stabilize a person who fell from a roof in an EMS training scenario, at Carolina Fire Days 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In this firefighter spouse rescue training video, instructors Lauran Franklin and Valerie Solano discuss and demonstrate how fire service members put firefighter bunker gear on emphasizing the importance of washing gear and hydrating before a shift.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION:

So, you would have a snowsuit in there a little. Right? That is what it’s like when it’s cold outside, which is great. But it’s also like that when it’s 98 degrees outside. You guys have humidity here, and that drives up your factor. So, we talk about, for your people, why it’s important for them to wash their gear.

Especially in an area that has a lot of humidity. Is their absorption through their groin. So, for testicular cancer. And for, Prostate cancer. They absorb a lot through their groin. Just like women do. So, have them wash their stuff. The other thing that it does is it increases their cardiac demand.

So, I weigh 160 pounds walking around all the time. When I’m in all my gear, I’m 215 pounds. Based off of what I carry as an officer. And that’s before I even add my tool or hose pack to me. So, it increases my cardiac demand, exponentially.

[Hydrating] is good for their muscles, and for strains and tears, which are our number one cause of injury in the fire service, besides hurt feelings.

Tip from trainer Valarie Solano

One of the best things you can encourage your husband to do the night before or your daughter or your sister to go through a shift, is to have them hydrate. It’s acute, it’ll, it’ll be great for them. It’s good for their muscles, and for strains and tears, which are our number one cause of injury in the fire service, besides hurt feelings. It’ll really, really help them. Yeah, thank you for catching that. It’ll really help them. That’s why I tore my calf because I was dehydrated.

I just want you to do one thing. I want you to stand on one foot and move one leg up. Right? Is it to decrease your mobility a little bit? Yeah. Okay. Before I do anything, you heard it from me ok? I literally grab my crotch, and I pick it up and then I do that, ok? (laughing)