POOLER, GA (WTOC) -
Inside a smokey house with little to no visibility, Pooler firefighters search for a potential victim. Once found, the crew tries to pull him to safety.
"Just keep in mind you need to have communication," one Pooler Fire Department instructor explained to two firefighters. "What you're thinking and what you're telling him might be interpreted differently."
The firefighters are actually recruits in training, and they're making history. Wade Simmons has been the Pooler Fire Chief since May of 2008.
"We had 16 employees when I started," he said.
Simmons said they had around 18 volunteer firefighters, and only two fire stations. Five years later, the changes to the department are astonishing.
"With this class, we'll have 45 personnel, 14 per shift, and we'll have four stations that are staffed in about a month," he explained.
Pooler has tripled in size. There are two new fire stations being built. Simmons said they hope to start construction on a fifth station in May. And according to the chief, all the new changes, equipment, and recruits were added without the city of Pooler raising any taxes.
"It says a lot about the department," Simmons explained, " We're getting out there. We're getting our name recognized through out the state. We're still a small department, but we're doing the right thing, and people are starting to take notice."
Pooler Fire Department Training Officer James Hennessey agrees.
"I love the fact that we're growing," he said. "I love the fact that we are moving forward. When I first talked to the recruits, I told them you are in a transformation phase with the Pooler Fire Department."
A transformation that's not only bringing in more firefighters, but more with diverse backgrounds. Some recruits have no fire experience at all, and some are fresh out of the military.
"I've always wanted to do public service," explained recruit Tyler Wend. "While in the military, I always liked helping people. And being a firefighter was always a childhood dream, a fantasy."
Kelli Miller was a stay at home mom who wanted a change of pace.
"I wanted to save lives," she said. "I wanted to help and I wanted to learn how to fight fire."
Simmons hopes those positive attitudes will help his fire stations continue to grow.
The 15 recruits have three more weeks of training, and will graduate on March 21. After that, Simmons hopes to add another six positions.
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