Firefighter recruiting sizzling out

Wallingford (WTNH) - They want to be the first line of defense. The ones that get up in the middle of the night to put their lives on the line. And they want to do it for free.

These 100 men and women are not firefighters yet, they are still recruits in training.

"This is the first night of live burns for them, they are pretty excited," Deputy Chief Michael Jepeal, their instructor, said. "The adrenaline is flowing a little bit."

There are about 25,000 firefighers in Connecticut. More than 20,000 are volunteers.

"It's amazing the dedication that they have. They all have come out of work to come here tonight to get their certification for Firefighter Level One," Jepeal said.

Volunteer or paid, the training is the same for level one. The recruits go through 180 hours and learn everything from the hoses to HazMat. They are working toward the final exam which includes knocking down a propane tank fire.

The Fire Academy puts them on the front lines and in the middle of the flames.

Our own News Channel 8 Bob Wilson suited up to see what it was like. He was responsible for shutting off a gas valve that was on fire.

"Bob Wilson is now going to get into position, reach in and shut off the valve to the fuel, backing the team out and then it is a successful evolution," Jepeal said.

"That's hot. The flames were going right over your arms," Wilson said. "My adrenaline is going pretty good! I'm wound up right now."

They don't want recruits to be wound up though. They need to be calm and mechanical. That is why 180 hours of training is required.

For many recruits, this is the first live fire they have ever seen.

"It's exillerating. You are about to take all of your experience and training and you are able to go into the building with all your foreknowledge. It's exciting," Amanda Thibedeau, of Suffield, said.

Sonia Lombardi, of Windsor Locks, agreed.

"It's a courageous activity. Doing something wonderful, you are helping people and it's a great feeling to be out there putting fires out," Lombardi said.

While there will soon be 100 new recruits heading to firehouses across Connecticut, there are more than 100 volunteers heading for the doors.

Wallingford has a rich history in firefighting, more than 100 years, and they are proud of the past, but concerned about the future.

"We've pretty much stay in recruiting mode all year long," they said.

They even placed a television advertisement with grant money trying to boost their diminishing numbers. They have lost half of their volunteers over the last 20 years from about 150 people to 75.

"The difference between 25 years ago and today is that you look at us operate in an emergency scene and you can't tell the difference between career firefighters and volunteer firefighters," Jepeal said.

With so much intensive and time-consuming training required of the volunteers, many firefighters are leaving it to the younger, newer recruits.

It's not all about fighting the big fires. It could be the little things like working with the kids to helping to train the other guys," James Davis, a firefighter, said.

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Volunteers are becoming far and few between beyond firefighting. News Channel 8 went to Animal Haven in North Haven to see how they're coping with their drop in volunteers. Click here to watch this story.