And expectations for Vacaville's firefighters are high. In fact, the new recruits face continuous training during their first 18 months on the job. The new firefighters must complete a series of six instruction modules covering various techniques and tactics. Tests follow the completion of each module. The rigorous training process is necessary, according to Carpenter, because of the diverse situations encountered by firefighters today.
Firefighters have to be ready for anything.
There is a huge amount of diversity there. And, as technology changes, each of those tasks become more difficult. Fires must be dealt with according to the type of material that is burning. A downtown building may have been built before 1930, and there is a significant difference between that and a building built today. We have to understand those differences when we are fighting fires.