Truck School
The third weekend of March every year STVFD hosts the Annual Walker Sisk Memorial Truck School. With a motto of "Back to the Basics", We have designed a curriculum around the essential of firefighting and basic Truck Company techniques. Hopefully by the end of this program you will receive most of the necessary training to participate in some capacity on a Truck Company.
Walker Andrew Sisk
Walker Sisk joined the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department in May of 2001. He looked pretty scruffy then, not the ordinary type of recruit we see. What we know now is Walker came to us to start his dream of being a firefighter. Walker immersed himself into the department and had a thirst for learning the tools of the trade. He really loved to learn how to do things and drill on them to become more proficient.
Walker was very active in the department. In 2002 he ran over 500 calls for the year, 5th most of any member. Most of all he loved being at the station with the people, his brothers, helping others in the community when they needed it most.
Traditions in the fire service were important to Walker. One tradition Walker loved was the firefighter helmet. The New Yorker style helmet is steeped in tradition in the fire service. Walker helped lead a movement within our department to change over to that style of helmet. We weren’t able to purchase everyone a new helmet in the first year. But that didn’t matter to Walker. We were buying a polycarbonate helmet in the “New Yorker Style”. Walker had to have the real thing, a leather one. So he purchased a used one with his own money. His parents said they found Walker downstairs one evening working on the helmet. He’d taken the time to shape it just how he wanted, then sanded the helmet and re-painted it to make it look new.
Another tradition in the fire service is that of the brotherhood of the firefighters. It’s at times like this that we truly come to know the meaning of it. We believe this tradition meant the most to Walker.
Walker fit right in at the firehouse. Kidding & joking around with each other is just part of the landscape, and Walker was good at it, both giving and taking. "I can just see him lumbering into the station, boots untied, in his favorite “Carhartt” jeans, that huge belt buckle and some old beat up looking John Deere hat on top of his head." He liked to call it “that good old Free Union boy look”. When he walked in the room it would light up. That wry smile and mischievous twinkle in his eye made you smile. And who could forget that stutter laugh of his. Walker loved to make people smile.
On November 8, 2003 Walker was stabbed multiple times and killed in the area of the Corner in Charlottesville, VA by a man armed with a large buck knife. His untimely passing has taught us more about that brotherhood and one of his legacies at Seminole is that tradition of the brotherhood.
“Walker Andrew Sisk was a son, a friend, a brother, and a hero for us all. Though he is no longer here on Earth, he will be with us all in our own journeys through life helping us along the way and smiling every step. We will all keep a special place for Walker. Every time the doors open and the sirens wind up Walker will be with us. His spirit is what will let us go forth, and we will never forget what a companion and loving son, friend, and brother Walker was to us all. We miss you so very, very much Walker, and we love you.”
Truck School
Over twenty years ago, company officers and senior level personnel in the area noticed a strong need for basic truck company skills. These people decided that in order to provide adequate training in this area, we would hold a training program that would highlight the important topics of what a Truck Company does. We are very excited to be able to conduct such a training program.
We have designed a curriculum around the essential of firefighting and basic Truck Company techniques. Hopefully by the end of this program everyone will receive most of the necessary training to participate in some capacity on a Truck Company. This weekend will serve as an introduction level course and also allow some “hands on” type training as well. The instructor cadre focuses on challenging everyone at all skill levels!
Finally, the most important thing to keep in mind this weekend……HAVE FUN!!! Enjoy yourselves. The goal is to provide you a wonderful opportunity to learn, gain experience and have fun. Take it and run with it!
Scope and Objectives
The scope of this training is to orient personnel to what functions a Truck Company performs at various incidents. We will accomplish this by completing the following objectives:
• Classroom discussion of basic Truck Company topics;
• Review basic practical techniques of Truck Company tasks;
• Evaluation of practical “Truck” skills;
• Participation in reality based scenarios;
• Conducting a critique and evaluation of the training program.
Skill Stations
Forcible Entry–Commercial Building: Students will be instructed on techniques for forcing entry on commercial metal doors and door jambs. Included are techniques to overcome panic hardware, etc.
Forcible Entry–Residential: Students will be taught techniques to force inward- or outward-opening doors using existing forcible entry fundamentals.
Forcible Entry–Through-the-Lock & Utility Control: Students will be taught how use non-destructive techniques to go through the lock on a mortise lock using a K tool and key tool. Also taught will be fundamentals of utility control utilizing realistic props.
Residential Search & Rescue: Students will learn search & rescue techniques and practical skills in a zero visibility environment.
Self-Rescue: Students under poor visibility and high stress will need to navigate safely out of a myriad of obstacles designed by the self rescue team every year.
Firefighter Rescue: Students will locate, assess, a remove a firefighter from a building. This may include tight spaces, up and down stairs, and out windows.
Can Confidence: Students will utilize the 2.5-gallon water extinguisher to extinguish a fire.
Tool Readiness: Students will practice how to preform minor maintenance to chain saws and K-12 saws. This will include daily checks, changing of blades, and refueling.
Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search (VEIS): Students will learn basic techniques of VEIS, including vent for life, fire, and safety and will practice those skills.
Ground Ladders: Students will learn proper donning of a SCBA and then ways to mount, carry and deploy ground ladders by themselves.
Roof Ventilation – Flat Roof: Students will receive instruction on ventilation of flat a flat roof and practice those skills.
Roof Ventilation – Peaked Roof: Students will receive instruction on ventilation of a peaked roof and practice those skills.
