Royersford Fire Company created a three-day “Firefighter for a Day” program. Ten people (including myself) from around the area signed up and participated. Day one, September 22, consisted of an introduction, getting sized for gear, a short classroom presentation about the dept and basic fire knowledge, learning how to unload and operate hoses, and putting on SCBA.

Day 2, September 29, involved gearing up and visiting the grounds of the Royersford EMS station to crawl around in full gear in the neighborhood playground. Next, participants crawled through a makeshift shed smokehouse for search and rescue. After returning to the station, crews and participants pulled hoses, used a hydrant, and dragged the hose through the station before going outside and “attacking”.

On day 3, October 1, the final day of the program, everyone geared up and rode the apparatus to the Skippack Fire Co. burn building. There, crews went through a series of evolutions from search and rescue in fake smoke to upgrading with live fire, search and rescue, hose operations, and sitting in front of the fire to see what the heat feels like.

Everyone had a great time stepping into the boots of firefighters and learned a lot along the way. Two participants put in applications to volunteer at RFD right after the program. As a participant (who is not yet a firefighter), I enjoyed the experience to be in gear and train in real-life scenarios. RFD did a fantastic job with the program, and I believe it is a great way for community members to experience what firefighters do and perhaps, even volunteer.