By Qi Gu
Chicago Daily Herald
CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. — He is outside the burning house. But his mind is surveying every corner of it.
This is not only the expectation for a fire captain, but also the goal of the six lieutenants who are vying for two battalion chief positions in the Carpentersville Fire Department.
They had crafted written proposals and gone through lengthy interviews. Here came the real test: a burning home at 31 N. Wisconsin St. that was donated for fire training purposes by local businessman Tom Roeser.
“We have two trained people inside that are lighting fires. We’ll let it burn a little. The candidates will come in. They’ll assess the situation and see if additional equipment needs to come in,” Fire Chief John Schuldt said. “They’ll function like it’s an actual fire, and direct those companies throughout the entire process.”
Meanwhile, to ensure safety in other parts of the village, Carpentersville borrowed personnel and equipments from the Bartlett and Barrington fire departments. Each candidate had the same team under his command: 14 firefighters, two fire engines, a fire truck and an ambulance.
The test was a matter of making right choices in the shortest time.
Flames started to lick the ceilings minutes after a hay stack was set ablaze. Black plumes of smoke brought onlookers to tears.
Two dummy victims, an adult collapsing by the window and a baby clinging to the top of the porch, were too weak to cry for help. Which one should the firefighters save first?
Judging the candidates’ performances was Schuldt, Assistant Chief John Skillman and Rick Paul, one of the two recently retired battalion chiefs. The fire drill concluded the selection process, and final decisions will come out by the end of July, Schuldt said.
Paul said any operation involving two or more fire engines requires someone of that rank.
“I’m looking for how he positions himself and the apparatus, the assignments he gives to the apparatus, what priorities he is putting on things as far as extinguishing the fire victims, ventilating the roof,” he said. “He really commands and controls the scene along with the chief.”
One of the candidates, Lt. James Ohlinger, saw the test as a good learning experience.
“Even though it’s controlled environment, it’s so chaotic. So if the real thing does happen, we could direct correctly and do the right thing,” he said.
Copyright 2010 Paddock Publications, Inc.