LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — FOX5 reporter Karla Salinas joined North Las Vegas Fire Department recruits at Station 54 to get an inside look at what it takes to train for the job — including suiting up in full firefighting gear weighing approximately 30 pounds.
The visit came after Salinas previously went through the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s academy alongside former FOX5 reporter Molly McBride. The North Las Vegas fire story came together after a conversation with the city’s communications department.
“I was like, ‘Well, I’d love to see how it is for recruits with the fire department,’” Salinas said. “And she was like, ‘What a great idea. We can make that happen, certainly.’”
ONLY ON FOX5: Inside North Las Vegas Fire Department’s intense training program
Gear, drills and the clock
Salinas said putting on the full gear — boots, pants, coat and oxygen tank — took her several minutes, a stark contrast to the seconds recruits are expected to complete the process.
“As little as 30 seconds sometimes, which is really difficult,” Salinas said. “I mean, putting it on, I was like, ‘I can’t imagine not taking forever to do this.’ It took me a good — I don’t even know — five minutes. Because these things are heavy.”
Recruits practice donning their gear simultaneously and signal readiness with a clap before a trainer inspects each one. Salinas said the drill carries real stakes.
“You don’t want to be the last one not having gone like that because that just means that you’re too slow,” she said.
Most calls are medical, not fires
Salinas said firefighters at the station told her the nature of the job has shifted significantly.
“They were telling me that 90% of the calls really aren’t fires anymore — 90% of the calls are medical calls,” Salinas said. “They were telling me that buildings just don’t burn down the way that they used to, which is great. But also, a big portion of being a firefighter is helping people medically.”
She said recruiters told her the fire department can be a path for people interested in the medical field who are not looking to pursue years of medical school.
Eight recruits in week two
Salinas said the class she observed was in its second week of training, with approximately eight recruits participating. She described the structure as similar to a military environment.
“Week one is basically, you know, like syllabus week, if you will — you’re going through HR, you’re signing some paperwork,” Salinas said. “And then week two is essentially when everything starts.”
She said the recruits ran laps outside on an unexpectedly warm January day and were already showing signs of fatigue, but remained focused.
“They were just already so alert and determined,” Salinas said. “I asked them, ‘How are they doing this?’”
Getting in is hard — but the culture keeps people
Salinas said one firefighter at the station told her he applied approximately five times before being accepted.
“But once you’re in, you’re family,” Salinas said. “I mean, they refer to each other as brothers and sisters. They live together. I was there in the kitchen where they cook together.”
She said firefighters work shifts of up to four days straight, including through major holidays, and described the bond between current firefighters and recruits as notably encouraging.
“Instead of, ‘Hey, what are you doing down there, you’re not doing it right,’ — they were just like, ‘Come on, you can do it. Get up.’ Like, ‘You’ve got this. Put it on,’” Salinas said. “They were just so encouraging.”
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