My dad Richard Gray was a founding member of this group of awesome volunteers. Both of my brothers, Rick Gray and Rob Gray, we’re part of this team - as well as my nephew Luke Gray. Proud of these men and their unselfish service. Thank you all! May God bless you and keep you safe. Always.

very nice!

Have fun, and do the charleston dance and poop poopy do!

This week's update (Dec 22-28): This week the recruits were focusing on fire behavior and flashover. Students spent time in the burn building watching fires grow in real-time, seeing in action the things they've been learning in the classroom. The week ended with a trip to Loudoun's Flashover Simulator. A flashover is the near-simultaneous ignition of combustible material in an enclosed area and will reach or exceed temperatures of 1100 degrees. Firefighter recruits are taught to recognize the preconditions and signs of a flashover. They learn to recognize the fire, smoke patterns, colors that may occur prior to flashover. The simulator is a specially constructed enclosure that allows students to remain (relatively safely) on the lower level below the fatal temperatures of flashover occurring in the upper level.

This week's update (Nov 17-23): Have you ever wondered how firefighters breathe in smoke-filled environments? Simple. They bring their own air. The Self-contained Breathing Apparatus or SCBA is the breathing air source carried by each firefighter. The SCBA is a system that every firefighter must be able to use even with fire gloves on and with their eyes closed. Fun Facts: The SCBA cylinder is filled with air, not oxygen, and can provide air to a hardworking firefighter for over 30 minutes (depending on how hard they are breathing of course).

This week's update (Nov 3-9): The class was met with some cold temps Saturday and even a little ice on the training ground. More fire attack practice took the recruits from the truck to the simulated fire inside the burn building. They varied the process by attacking the simulated fire on the first floor and then resetting and attacking a second-floor fire. The exercise tested their hose management skills, teamwork, and physical fitness. In about 2 months, the fires will be real. While one group was working on fire attack skills, another was working on the delicate process of "throwing ladders". The term is fitting especially during a real fire when lives depend on having every available exit available to firefighters. The recruits practiced how to deploy both fixed-length ladders and extension ladders. The recruits also practiced their searching skills in a limited visibility environment. Well, suffice to say, those pictures didn't come out.

This week's update (Dec 31-Jan 4): Fire attack training. The fire attack drill starts at the fire engine and doesn't stop until recruits have deployed a charged hose line to the second floor of the Burn Building. The goal for the drill is to accomplish all tasks and put water on the fire in less than 1 minute and 30 seconds. The first live burn is just a week away and the recruits of Fire School 19-2 are doing well.

This week's update (Jan 5-11) The week ended with the first full live burn evolution for the recruits. They're putting together all the lessons they've learned and practiced. In the weeks ahead they're run more complex scenarios, continuing to build muscle memory and refine their skills.

This weeks update (Nov 10-16): Building proficiency in throwing ladders, getting comfortable working from ladders, and using ladders to rescue victims.

I miss my days in Bunker Gear... 🙁

I remember those days We did not have a training bld so we used old houses for our live fire training both with smoke drills and live fire. My FF1 class went thru the MAZE from Fairfax co. for confined search and SCBA training. All my other training was in house or at different stations. I loved every minute of my service with the SPFD Co 11/18 1978-1991 I was a original member of Co 18 in Sugerland station.

This week's update (Dec 22-28): This week the recruits were focusing on fire behavior and flashover. Students spent time in the burn building watching fires grow in real-time, seeing in action the things they've been learning in the classroom. The week ended with a trip to Loudoun's Flashover Simulator. A flashover is the near-simultaneous ignition of combustible material in an enclosed area and will reach or exceed temperatures of 1100 degrees. Firefighter recruits are taught to recognize the preconditions and signs of a flashover. They learn to recognize the fire, smoke patterns, colors that may occur prior to flashover. The simulator is a specially constructed enclosure that allows students to remain (relatively safely) on the lower level below the fatal temperatures of flashover occurring in the upper level.

This week's update (Nov 17-23): Have you ever wondered how firefighters breathe in smoke-filled environments? Simple. They bring their own air. The Self-contained Breathing Apparatus or SCBA is the breathing air source carried by each firefighter. The SCBA is a system that every firefighter must be able to use even with fire gloves on and with their eyes closed. Fun Facts: The SCBA cylinder is filled with air, not oxygen, and can provide air to a hardworking firefighter for over 30 minutes (depending on how hard they are breathing of course).

This week's update (Nov 3-9): The class was met with some cold temps Saturday and even a little ice on the training ground. More fire attack practice took the recruits from the truck to the simulated fire inside the burn building. They varied the process by attacking the simulated fire on the first floor and then resetting and attacking a second-floor fire. The exercise tested their hose management skills, teamwork, and physical fitness. In about 2 months, the fires will be real. While one group was working on fire attack skills, another was working on the delicate process of "throwing ladders". The term is fitting especially during a real fire when lives depend on having every available exit available to firefighters. The recruits practiced how to deploy both fixed-length ladders and extension ladders. The recruits also practiced their searching skills in a limited visibility environment. Well, suffice to say, those pictures didn't come out.

This week's update (Dec 31-Jan 4): Fire attack training. The fire attack drill starts at the fire engine and doesn't stop until recruits have deployed a charged hose line to the second floor of the Burn Building. The goal for the drill is to accomplish all tasks and put water on the fire in less than 1 minute and 30 seconds. The first live burn is just a week away and the recruits of Fire School 19-2 are doing well.

This week's update (Jan 5-11) The week ended with the first full live burn evolution for the recruits. They're putting together all the lessons they've learned and practiced. In the weeks ahead they're run more complex scenarios, continuing to build muscle memory and refine their skills.

This weeks update (Nov 10-16): Building proficiency in throwing ladders, getting comfortable working from ladders, and using ladders to rescue victims.

I miss my days in Bunker Gear... 🙁

I remember those days We did not have a training bld so we used old houses for our live fire training both with smoke drills and live fire. My FF1 class went thru the MAZE from Fairfax co. for confined search and SCBA training. All my other training was in house or at different stations. I loved every minute of my service with the SPFD Co 11/18 1978-1991 I was a original member of Co 18 in Sugerland station.