It says here that Lincoln County is blessed with one of the best firefighting teams in the state, in our case, spread out across the 19 communities that make up our region in a mutual aid network.
Most visibly our local firefighters respond to every local emergency. Less visibly they engage in training exercises. Behind the scenes there are piles of paperwork and requirements that need to be formally logged.
To become a basic firefighter, a lowest ladder rung, SCBA certified, interior attack qualified firefighter requires 75 hours of training. The Firefighter I and II combined certification course coordinated by the Lincoln County Fire Academy totals 120 hours of course and field work. That’s three weeks of work based on a 40-hour week.
Consider that most of the volunteer firefighters in Lincoln County, the ones who are not already retired or comfortable financially, require gainful employment to put food on the table.
Add in the obligations of family and friends and there is precious little time left over for everything else the firefighting trade requires: The official recording of hours served, equipment maintenance, meeting legal and insurance requirements, and the other public requirements of the trade, the parades, appearances in local schools promoting fire prevention, and the like.
In stepping forward to request a full time position in the fire department, Newcastle Taniscot Engine Co. may be ahead of the local curve, but it’s an idea that we who are served should probably take the time to consider.
