Boardman Firefighters receive State of Ohio-mandated recruit firefighter training at the Ohio Fire Academy in Columbus. After recruit training Boardman, Firefighters receive on-the-job training from senior firefighters and the officers at the Boardman Fire Department.

Various training seminars at the local, county, state and national level are regularly available and Boardman Firefighters are encouraged to attend with expenses paid for by Boardman Township.

Also, ongoing in-service training is provided on a weekly basis from 9:30 a.m – 11:30 a.m. on each of the three operating shifts. However, these training periods, while effective, are subject to unforeseen interruptions such as emergency responses, bad weather and various other commitments that develop time to time.

Other than hose and tank water, the various pieces of apparatus carry equipment pertinent to their specific role at the fire scene. Because pumpers carry water and hose, they are limited as to how much other equipment they can carry. But at minimum you will find nozzles, axes and air packs for breathing. Ladder trucks normally carry a variety of ground ladders, forcible entry tools, salvage covers, and large hydraulic rescue tools, which cannot be stored on smaller trucks. Rescue trucks also carry other tools (e.g., large ventilation fans and various hand tools) that are necessary at a fire scene but impractical for storage on smaller trucks.

Jobs at a fire scene are different for an Engine Company, which is normally primarily concerned with locating and extinguishing the fire.

A Ladder Company usually is assigned and equipped to perform ventilation, forcible entry search and rescue, and overhaul.

On smaller fire departments, firefighters have a less specific job description, but the duties of a Ladder Company must still be performed. These duties may vary depending on the needs determined by the Officer-in-Charge (OIC). All firefighters who arrive at a fire scene must be prepared to do any job necessary to save lives or property.

The typical firefighter works an average of 56 hours per week. This is accomplished by working 24 hours on duty and 48 hours off duty. This schedule factors out to be 2,912 hours per year.

The number of firefighters varies according to the amount of manpower available each day. There will be two to three firefighters per apparatus 24 hours a day.

Most Township positions are filled through a competitive testing process. Police Officer and Firefighter positions are filled through a Civil Service Commission testing process. The Commissions test, interview and create eligible lists for each position. Vacant positions are filled from these eligible lists for two-year time periods. See our Career Page for more information.

A day at the firehouse consists of a 24-hour tour of duty, which begins at 0800 roll call.

Generally, a firefighter must remain with his/her crew the entire tour and “live” at the firehouse. One of the firefighters at each station is designated the “cook” and collects approximately $10 from each firefighter for the “mess.” The crew goes to the supermarket and buys enough groceries for the firefighters for that day.

Working together, the rest of the crew keeps the firehouse clean and the apparatus in good working condition. There are other duties such as fire prevention inspections, hose tests, hydrant inspections and in-service training.

Firefighters spend some time during every shift training in some way. This may consist of studying maps or driving streets. There are structured training sessions covering the vast scope of knowledge which firefighters must keep up to date. Subjects include: Hazardous Materials, Building Construction, Electrical Emergencies, River Rescue, Basic Trauma Life Support, Hose Lays, Ladder Evolutions, Pump Operations, Communications, etc.

While all these routine duties are being accomplished, firefighters must be prepared to drop everything and respond at a moment’s notice to a wide variety of emergency situations. A typical day might include a few fire alarms, a couple of auto accidents, several medical emergencies and a house fire. After 10 p.m., the firefighters are permitted to lie down and catch a series of “cat naps” between emergency runs over the course of the night.