In the event of an emergency, when everyone else is running away – first responders are running to it. It’s a special breed who takes on the job of protecting others and training is critical. In answer to that need, Davis Technical College opened a new Emergency Services Training Lab on Tuesday for students to get the skills needed to save lives.

“Today we are taking a major step forward in the safety and security of the residents of northern Utah,” said Davis Tech President, Darin Brush. “This lab increases our capacity to train emergency responders like EMTs, advanced EMTs and firefighters who will save lives and protect property in our growing communities.” 

“This is a really exciting time and this is a really exciting training facility for our firefighters,” said North Davis Fire District Chief, Mark Becraft. “We’re in a different time now and it’s amazing. I think the point to drive home is the fact that it’s a very noble cause to be a fighter.”

Firefighters and instructors and chiefs won’t toot their own horn, he said. “They won’t tell you that but it takes commitment and it takes sacrifice.”

The landscape of fire fighting is changing, said Becraft. “I believe we live in a more dangerous world than we ever have. Fires are burning hotter, faster, there are different materials and for the most part, everybody needs to pretty much be on their game when a tragedy strikes and we have to be ready for that.”

“We go on people’s worst day and we’re expected to respond to do something special,” said Davis Technical College Emergency Services Training Officer, Course Coordinator and Syracuse City Fire Department Battalion Chief, Jared Sholly whose vision made the project happen. “It’s our responsibility as educators to make sure that when we send somebody out, to do that and to have that privilege because it truly is a privilege to go on somebody’s worst day and make it better in any way we possibly can.”

It could be a little thing like a child who cut their finger, he said. “Or it could be somebody who just lost a loved one or lost everything in the fire. We wear more hats than we’ve ever worn before and it’s going to continue to be that way. As all of these gentlemen will tell you, over our years of doing this our job has become more and more complicated. So giving that to our students in a six month academy is pretty challenging.”

“I finished the academy in December,” said student Dallin Argyle. “We went three times a week and all of Saturday we spent here.”

Dion Turner (right) pries open the door of a simulator and Dallin Argyle hits the prybar with an axe. Photo by Becky Ginos.

Argyle said growing up he’d always wanted to be a firefighter. “I went through the process to get certified to fulfill my dream. I wanted to help people on a day when they can’t help themselves. I wanted to be there.”

“I wanted to be a police officer right out of high school,” said Sholly. “I found out you had to be 21. A firetruck with lights and sirens went by and I thought, ‘that might be something.’ You only had to be 18 and they would help with school. So I tested and was hired almost immediately after high school. I didn’t realize how much passion I would have for this job.”

That passion just grew, he said. “I really had a desire to do it.”

The lab has simulated scenarios for students to get hands-on experience such as a collapsing floor inside a residential home where they learn how to rescue themselves and other firefighters from a collapsed area. The “Tech Mart Shopping Center” allows students to train to overcome a parapet wall, search a large open space for fire and victims, ladder a commercial building and much more. Another station gives students the opportunity to learn vehicle extrication techniques using the Jaws of Life.

After completing the training at the lab, students move to the Layton Fire Training Center where they train with water and actual fire. 

“We try to provide positive muscle memory for them to pull from,” said Sholly. “The stuff they learn has the potential to save their life someday or somebody else’s.” λ