My first run was towards the end of my last training for my 24 hour basic ff. (Prior to EMT school) Myself and the other probie were gearing up to do our blacked out search and rescue maze, when the two instructors looked at each other and said "was that a barn fire" in response to some radio traffic that I could barely hear. That was exactly what it was. So there myself and probie #2 stand wearing full turnouts and SCBA, and I am just bewildered. What in the hell am I supposed to do- drop my pack and put it back on the engine, then get out of the way? No, the instructors had other plans for me and probie #2- get on the engine and roll out for on the job training- which is a no no if your not clear on niosh and other regulatory rules. But there I was riding on the big red truck with my head spinning as fast as the Q siren. As I am trying to catch my breath I see the scene. A white barn with smoke pouring out of the end that we can see and it is surrounded by a corn field that is ready for harvest (dry Sept. afternoon). So the officers (instructors) start calling for an additional engine, a truck co., a grass/field rig, and a full tanker response from area departments. So much for catching my breath! We arrive and I am told to pack up and start pulling a hose line, which I start pulling the yard lay off of the back, having not been instructed on what and where preconnects were yet. Fortunately another firefighter grabbed the correct line and I was instructed to follow one of the instructors who was coming out of the barn after doing a quick 360 plus interior check. He led me in and I followed closely since the smoke was thick to about 4'. We reached the fire which was a small fire that involved a pile of boards, a tire, and one framing member of the structure, but was spreading towards the corn field. The instructor knocks the fire out in about 30 seconds, and I open the door. Much to our amazement the light coming in reveals a man laying on the floor about 20' from the fire. We try to rouse him but he is only marginally pain responsive. So myself and the other probie carry the man outside to fresh air and I retrieve the BLS bag and assist with placing a NRB on the patient until the medic arrives. It seems this person was something of a vagrant and had this fire for some reason unknown ( it was not cold, and there was only alchohol, no food on the premises). After the medic took over, myself and probie #2 helped with extinguishing the brush that was burning as well as overhaul of the framing. In the history of our dept. us probies were the first to successfully rescue someone from a structure fire (even though the structure was only slightly involved).
