California Rookie and Instructor Share Stress of Final Firefighter Exams

Rookie Hemet firefighter Dan McIntyre was taking an exam that could end his career.

Yet it was his captain, Scott Gibson, who appeared to be more nervous.

“As his immediate supervisor, I put a lot of hard work and sweat into his training,” Gibson said. “His success also in many ways equals my success as a supervisor and trainer. I get almost as nervous as many of the firefighters I help train.”

McIntyre – a 2007 graduate of Elsinore High School who lives in Wildomar – joined the Hemet Fire Department in February. As with all new firefighters in the city-operated agency, he will spend his first year on probation.

During that time, he and others serve not only as a full-fledged firefighters but also as students. When not on calls, they spend time studying and training. The extensive exams they take every four months each focus on a different skill.

“Each test is a huge hurdle in their probation and career, as failing would likely equal the end of the road for him at the HFD,” Gibson said.

McIntyre took his second trimester test Monday. The eight-hour test included areas such as ventilation, auto extraction and salvage. It included a 100-question written test.

During the afternoon session, McIntyre, 26, calmly explained how to use different tools before climbing atop Fire Station 3 and dem onstrating what he would do if the building were on fire.

All his actions – and his answers – were under the watchful eye of three captains: Foster, who trained him, plus Scott Bailey and Bill Herder, who were evaluating him.

“He has to explain everything he’s thinking,” Herder said. “Him explaining it to us shows he understands all the danger signs.”

Gibson said testing days are stressful all around. There are hard costs when having to release a recruit and start again with a new one.

Fire Chief Scott Brown noted some firefighters have failed to make it through their probationary period. But the captains make an extra effort to make sure their recruits meet or beat the department’s standards, he said.

It helps that McIntyre is a second-generation firefighter. His father is a former firefighter in Laguna Beach. McIntyre took community college classes before going to the fire aca demy and worked as a seasonal firefighter in San Bernardino County and as an EMT for an ambulance company in San Marcos, all the while applying for firefighting jobs across Southern California.

“That was always my goal,” McIntyre said of being a firefighter.

As the only rookie currently in Hem et, McIntyre is easily identifiable. Although his colleagues have their last name on the bill of their helmets, his simply reads “Rook.”

McIntyre passed his test.



951-368-9086 or cshultz@pe.com