| How do firefighters call for help when they are in trouble?
Simple. We call a MAYDAY. This week, we reviewed our mayday procedures and practiced transmitting a mayday. But our firefighters didn’t get off that easy…
Each firefighter was given a scenario that would be necessary to transmit a mayday - a malfunction of a breathing apparatus, lost or disoriented, or a downed member, for example. Then, members went through a few brief & basic obstacles, and then, after getting their heart rates increased and a little stress on their body, transmitted their mayday.
Maydays are usually never called in the comfort of a chair in a climate controlled room. They’re typically called when a firefighter has spent a significant amount of energy, under duress and complete exhaustion. While we don’t completely exhaust our members, it’s good to make conditions a bit more realistic. Being prepared to transmit a mayday under stress, better prepares our members to call for help should they need it. Safety is our number one priority, for both the people we serve, and our own members. |
