Countywide fire training was held in Hackett over the weekend, with longtime veteran fire instructor Todd Johnson at the helm. Twenty-two volunteers represented the following departments: Greenwood Rural (2), EMP (2), White Bluff (2), Sugarloaf (5), Bonanza (2), Mansfield (1), and Hackett (8).


The introduction to fire/safety and personal protective equipment are two of three basic and required courses by the Arkansas Fire Academy. Johnson spent the first portion of each course presenting informational content and the second half working hands-on. From head to toe, Johnson made sure each firefighter had a working understanding of their gear and its purpose. “We need to make sure we go back to the basics, routinely,” stated Johnson.


After learning to properly suit up, each firefighter repetitively practiced until they could complete the task in under a minute. Standouts competed against each other, and in the end, two young men, one from Hackett and another from Greenwood Rural, suited up in less than 45 seconds.



Next came the SCBAs, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus. “Look around at each other,” instructed Johnson. “To a child, you look unrecognizable and scary. That is why it’s important to go to schools and educate.”


The seasoned instructor encouraged his students to implement buddy checks with fellow firemen when training together as a department. “Also know that your mutual aid department may have different equipment so it’s good to learn from them as well.”



Johnson would go on to issue a challenge to all fire chiefs in the surrounding area: “That they spend time on their meeting nights doing gear drills.”



Before concluding the class, Johnson demonstrated the SWIM method and led volunteers through a training course that simulated a second-story building. “Train like your life depends on it, because it does.”



