Ken Ripley and Garrett Joslyn throw in unison during a Whitefield Fire Department Scott Air Pack training exercise on Monday. (Paula Roberts photo)
The Whitefield Fire Department turned out Monday night for a unique training exercise at the Whitefield Elementary School. Anyone driving by must have wondered what was going on at the school, with two fire trucks and almost a dozen vehicles sporting firefighter plates in the parking lot.
There was no steam coming off hoses that night, just lots of sweat steaming from the faces and heads of firefighters.
They did not show up for a fire at the school, or a drill, but to play dodgeball. Not only did they play dodgeball, they played with 40-45 pounds of turnout gear, helmets, and Scott Air Packs on their backs.
The training exercise was the brainchild of fireman Mike Lamontagne, though he said he could not take credit for the idea, as he saw firemen playing dodgeball on Facebook and thought it would make a great training exercise. “I thought it would be fun,” Lamontagne said.
Lamontagne showed the video clip to fellow firefighters and “they got pretty excited about it. We need to do Scott Air Pack training twice a year. So instead of doing boring stuff, we decided to make it more fun,” Lamontagne said.
Whitefield fireman Jesse Barton blocks one ball while throwing another during a dodgeball training session. (Paula Roberts photo)
The Whitefield Fire Department trains three times per month and has an association meeting once a month. The department used the dodgeball game as a way to change things up in the training schedule.
Firefighters discovered their heavy gear changed their equilibrium and more than one did a faceplant on the hardwood trying to retrieve a ball or dodge one. As the women watching from the stage laughed hysterically, the men sweated on. More than one woman yelled, “You’re going to need to take a shower tonight!”
The Whitefield Fire Department plans to enter a team in the dodgeball tournament in March, sponsored by the Whitefield Elementary School National Junior Honor Society, to raise funds for a 13-year-old boy from Palermo with cancer.
Whitefield fireman Garrett Joslyn throws a ball at Josh Moores as Louis Sell and Brian Ross wrestle over a loose ball. (Paula Roberts photo)
Thirteen of Whitefield’s 20 active members turned out to play dodgeball. Playing were Lamontagne, Jesse Barton, Randy Brann, Tom Feeney, Galen Hisler, Garrett Joslyn, Aaron Miller, Josh Moores, Ken Ripley, Brian Ross, Louis Sell, and Phil Yund.
Chief Scott Higgins watched the entertaining game. “We’ll see what kind of shape these guys are in,” he said before it started. After 45 minutes of play, he offered his judgment: “pretty good, I’d say.”
After 30 minutes of play, the firefighters, drenched in sweat, asked if anyone thought to bring water. After a short break spent guzzling water, they hit the gym floor for another round.
