Six firefighters completed their 12-week training course and began their probationary firefighter shifts following Thanksgiving weekend. For two of them, their first shift started Monday at Owensboro Fire Department Station No. 1.
“[Training] was probably the most challenging thing–mentally and physically–I’d ever done in my life,” said Andy Shively, 28, of Owensboro. “But, we stuck together as a group and made it out.”
For both Shively and Louren Agrinsoni, 27, several aspects of training required them to face a series of uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing simulations. As for the most physically and mentally-challenging simulation they faced, Agrinsoni didn’t hesitate with her answer.
“Mine was probably the confined space training,” Agrinsoni said.
Shively agreed that the confined space training was not for the faint-hearted, and probably not for those who struggle with claustrophobia.
“There is a thing called a smoke maze–we had all our gear on, and it [the opening] wasn’t any bigger than about half that door,” Shively said, pointing to a standard 80-inch by 32-inch office door in the room. “We had to crawl through it with no visibility.”
All six firefighters were required to work together in simulations that required them to locate a number of 150-pound victims and find a way to drag them out of the building.
“We had to drag them through the house, and then once we got one victim out, we had another victim in there–we’d have to go back in there and do the same thing again,” Shively said.
As for their new career as a firefighter, Shively and Agrinsoni say they’re a little nervous about the reality of what their training entailed, but they also feel they were well prepared for the upcoming fires, emergencies and first-responder situations they’ll face.
“We had great training officers. They did a really good job of teaching us and getting us ready to start but, yeah, we’re pretty nervous,” said Agrinsoni of their first day on the job.
“I couldn’t imagine better training officers–it’s just the first-day jitters, you know,” said Shively. “I’ll probably have them for, probably, the next few months.”
All probationary firefighters will work the traditional shift of 24 hours on, 48 hours off. For Agrinsoni, who’s only the second female firefighter currently working for OFD, there are no gender roles that divide her from any of the males. For her, this is a job, and it’s one her father inspired her to look into.
“My dad kind of told me he thought firefighting was something that would fit me well, so I just went for it, and I really liked it,” said Agrinsoni, who did hair before she began training as a firefighter.
As for working in a male-dominated industry, Agrinsoni isn’t phased by the lack of females in her line of work.
“To me, it’s just normal. I don’t even think about it, really,” Agrinsoni said.
For Shively, he said, much like Agrinsoni, he saw firetrucks as a “really cool” thing in his childhood and found himself admiring firefighters for their bravery as he got older.
“My fiance actually told me that this would be a pretty good job for me,” Shively said. “I always wanted to help people out and make their lives a little bit better.”
