Standing by the entry way, watching the team. My team was going next I had to pay attention. I was overhaul. So I payed special attention to that. Watching them watching flames trying to manage my breathing. I was so nervous. I grabbed my best friends arm for reassurance. He screamed, you'll be okay.

It was just a normal Tuesday to anyone else. To me it was training day. My first training day. I had just been brought in to my fire company the week before and was so nervous because not many people believed in me. I had my brother by my side well infront of me the ride down encouraging me. He is always the best at that. The live burn was going to be my chance to see if this was for me. If I was ready to be a fire fighter.

This training was a live burn. A chance for me to be up close and personal with some fire. I knew I wasn't going to get to do much but that was okay. At least I was there and could learn. The first fire was set for a group of new juniors that came in with me. The second for me and another new member. That night my best friend and brother got to help me, got to teach me even. It was the best. He encouraged me the whole way. Then the time came where I got handed off to another member to be shown a few things. Then I got handed off again to an assistant chief so I could finally get inside the building. This scared me a lot. I had no idea what was going to happen.

When I was handed off I was told I was going inside. I thought to myself oh I will just be put in a corner to watch no worries. Then I got put in the middle of the next four fires that were started. As they got set an put out slowly getting positioned closer and closer to them. When the last fire was set I was put right in the middle of it practically. I was told to kneel as long as I could stand the heat, as I got hotter to get lower and lower to the floor. Eventually when I got to hot to stand it I was able to crawl on the floor to the assistant chief who was in a door way next to part of the fire. As I crawled passed the door I felt a pain on my ear and realized that the fire was so hot it was steaming my ear inside of my helmet and hood. As I kneeled next to the assistantA chief he talked well more like screamed to me about thermal balance, after the room had went totally dark. Then it was over. As we left the building I found my best friend, he got to take me back in and I got to help clean up.

I learned a lot that night at training. I even had a little bit of fun. Today I am still a fire fighter and loving every minute of it. And that night I learned what a great best friend I have because he helped me through my first fire.