Arbala VFD welcomes first junior fire academy

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  • Zach Mansfield turns the hose on himself at Arbala Junior Firefighter Academy this past weekend which 45 kids attended. See more photos on page 12A. Staff Photo by Taylor Nye
    Zach Mansfield turns the hose on himself at Arbala Junior Firefighter Academy this past weekend which 45 kids attended. See more photos on page 12A. Staff Photo by Taylor Nye
  • Journey Brumley completes an obstacle course filled with smoke to simulate a collapsed burning house.
    Journey Brumley completes an obstacle course filled with smoke to simulate a collapsed burning house.
  • Firefighters and junior firefighters pull the equipment sled — with some added weight — during the obstacle course section.
    Firefighters and junior firefighters pull the equipment sled — with some added weight — during the obstacle course section.
  • Quinn Glover receives a pep talk from Arbala VFD Chief Brian Fairchild before a race with a fire hose, which weighs approximately 20 pounds.
    Quinn Glover receives a pep talk from Arbala VFD Chief Brian Fairchild before a race with a fire hose, which weighs approximately 20 pounds.
  • Caleb Eoff and Rydan Friddle pretend to drive the Arbala fire engine.
    Caleb Eoff and Rydan Friddle pretend to drive the Arbala fire engine.
  • Volunteer firefighter Drew Fisher gets a jet of water to the face during the water fight.
    Volunteer firefighter Drew Fisher gets a jet of water to the face during the water fight.
  • Volunteer firefighter Blake Neal gleefully throws a water balloon during the water fight.
    Volunteer firefighter Blake Neal gleefully throws a water balloon during the water fight.
  • Volunteer firefighter Christy Fairchild helps Rydan Friddle aim the fire hose during the water fight.
    Volunteer firefighter Christy Fairchild helps Rydan Friddle aim the fire hose during the water fight.
  • Levi Fairchild aims an air horn during the water fight. Staff Photos by Taylor Nye
    Levi Fairchild aims an air horn during the water fight. Staff Photos by Taylor Nye
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Clowns, safety, water balloon fight on schedule

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County VFD

“We practice here so when they get in the real world, they know how to act and they don’t get afraid.”

This is the guiding principle with which Captain Brian Fairchild and the Arbala Volunteer Fire Department approached their first ever junior fire academy.

Forty-five kids ages 5-15 saw and experienced almost every emergency situation real firefighters come across in their daily jobs. This is in the hopes, Fairchild said, so if they are confronted with an emergency, they can remain calm.

Unexpected to most, the day began with a clown performance. Fairchild was educated in the clowning arts at Texas A&M-College Station specifically for its use in teaching childrens’ fire safety.

Arbala’s other volunteer firefighters who took part in the clown show admitted they don’t love donning the rainbow wigs and pancake makeup as much as Fairchild does. Still, though, they see its importance, they said.

Fairchild played the dour clown who always ruins the fun. Unfortunately, the fun the other clowns were having was unsafe: during the performance, they played with matches and prank-called

911. Luckily, Chief the wise fire captain puppet was always there to back Fairchild up and teach some fire safety basics.

“Kids only have about a 30 minute attention span, so you’ve got to keep it fun,” Fairchild said. “Plus, if you make it seem like they’re watching a play, they’re engaged and they don’t feel like they can interrupt you.”

Once the clowns educated the kids on the basic principles of fire safety, they wiped off their makeup, transformed back into firefighters and put the principles to the test.

Arbala had several pieces of equipment loaned from Mount Pleasant to show the junior fire academy. A trailer mocked up to look like an average mobile home was rigged to fill with non-toxic smoke.

The kids needed to remain calm and remember their training to remain low to the ground and check the door handle first. A volunteer instructs them that the door handle is hot, so they have to look for an alternative way out. They opened the window and escaped. All 45 campers cycled through the trailer this way, playing out different scenarios.

Arbala VFD also set up a crushed four-door sedan. Fairchild calmly explained to the kids what it would be like to be involved in an accident.

“Remain calm, and try to keep those around you calm,” he told them. “This is why we always wear our seatbelts.”

They even fired up the jaws of life equipment for the kids to show them that even though it may be loud, it won’t hurt them, and that, according to Fairchild, “We may have to cut some pieces off the car. Roof might come off. But we will get you out.”

After a hot dog lunch, the campers ran obstacles like a firefighter might. They did a hose carry race against each other. They pulled a sled loaded with equipment and sometimes each other if they were feeling silly. They inspected the fire engine. They navigated their way crawling through a collapsed “building” made out of wooden pallets, tarps and the smoke machine with only the fire hose to guide them.

The day ended with a firehose sharpshooter contest which then turned into a water balloon and firehose fight. With all the kids soaked, they did one more lap of the obstacle course.

“We’re trying to build a community,” Christy Fairchild, a trained firefighter and Brian’s wife, said. “We know that volunteering takes a lot of time, but with that time, you’re giving back to your community.”