Published: November 29, 2008 11:01 pm      

5 Dalton firefighters join elite Smoke Divers

Smoke Divers are an elite fraternity of firefighters who have completed grueling training that pushes their limits physically and mentally.

They share a strong bond and are identified by the crescent-shaped Smoke Diver patch found stitched to the left shoulder of their uniform. At the Dalton Fire Department, five firefighters recently joined the ranks of the 730 who have completed the training at the Georgia Fire Academy in Forsyth: Tolley Campbell, Brent Newton, Dale Stratton, Robbie Townsend and Matt Vess. Twenty-two firefighters with the department have completed the program since it was restarted in the 1990s.

“Smoke Divers are already experienced firefighters,” said Gary Baggett, a Dalton Fire Department battalion chief and also a certified Smoke Diver. “A candidate is generally a firefighter that is very conscientious of his job and he’s looking for a class that will both teach him something and challenge the skills that he already has.”

The program covers six days and 60 hours of intense training. The classroom work and real-life exercises are “designed for the experienced firefighter who desires realistic training” in several areas, including self-survival, firefighter rescue and thermal imaging, according to the Georgia Smoke Diver Association. Emphasis is placed on day-to-day situations firefighters may encounter such as multiple alarm fires or several fires within a single unit. The program is coordinated by the Georgia Fire Academy and the Georgia Smoke Diver Association.

To be accepted into the program, six weeks prior to the class candidates travel to the Fire Academy in Forsyth to undergo a physical exam and take a written test. Firefighters who score the highest are selected to attend. This year out of the 150 that qualified to take the test, only 30 were accepted into the program. In the latest class, there were firefighters from Florida, Indianapolis and as far away as Washington state.

Each morning, participants perform exercises to loosen up before completing a 19-station obstacle course that simulates tasks they could face during a real fire (crawl through a simulated attic, place a ladder on a truck, etc.). They run from station to station in pairs, all in full gear. The firefighters are pushed physically because their turn out gear weighs about 60 pounds.

“Not any individual station is all that bad,” said Brandon Bray, a lieutenant with the Dalton Fire Department. “The cumulative effect of all of them is what gets you. Plus, you just did pushups and mountain climbers and up and downs in all your gear so you’re already wore out. Everyday you’re starting the day tired. You don’t recover, every day is worse.”

The program teaches survival skills in case a firefighter becomes trapped or disoriented, such as breathing techniques that could make a one-hour tank of air last up to 30 minutes longer. When they’re rescuing people or other firefighters, they will use more air.

“What we stress is that the person is in top physical condition and is very alert when he goes in, finds that victim and rescues that person while conserving air,” Baggett said.

The training, as grueling as it is, translates to real world situations that can help save lives — of victims and of fellow firefighters.