FireFighterNation

New firefighters make many mistakes as they learn on the job. Scott Cook shares one mistake he thinks rookies make that could mean the difference between sinking or swimming as a firefighter.

It's not uncommon for people to express surprise when Melissa Larson pulls off her face piece, a protective fire mask, after she's responded to the scene of an emergency. Larson joined the Rockdale County Fire Department two years ago and is the only female in the department to be assigned to fire suppression, out of 140 who hold that position. Her career has overlapped with that of Juli Moncrief, who worked for 24 years as a firefighter in fire suppression for Rockdale and retired in July.

Fire companies sometimes lack a sense of urgency when initiating a new firefighter into the crew. Homer Robertson shares some tips company officers can use to ensure firefighters are properly introduced and start learning immediately.