On Saturday, March 24, 2018, the Douglas Fire Department hosted the inaugural Georgia SPARTAN Firefighter class at the Douglas Fire Department Training Facility. The SPARTAN class was developed by members of the Douglas Fire Department as a way to challenge firefighters to push themselves beyond their normal limits of endurance.
The Georgia SPARTAN Firefighter program is a 1 day/24 hour course that emphasizes the Spartan qualities of DUTY, DISCIPINE, and COURAGE while challenging the candidate’s endurance and decision making skills. Team work is critical in the SPARTAN course.
During the course, candidates experienced high stress environments with short recuperation times within the course. Candidates are taught basic skills such as firefighter survival techniques, victim search & removal techniques, fire control techniques, and rapid intervention techniques. The candidates must use these skills to complete the scenarios even though candidates are working with minimum rest. These tasks must be completed even though the body and mind of a candidate has been stressed to a level where it is hard to focus.
“When asked if any had considered quitting the course, all the candidates raised a hand,” says Fire Chief Larry Wilson. “Each candidate remembered the SPARTAN motto of “NEVER QUIT” and pushed themselves to complete the class. Eight candidates earned the title of “SPARTAN” and have received their SPARTAN number.”
The SPARTAN course would not have come to realization without the help of all the SPARTAN Instructors and Chief Larry Wilson and the Douglas Fire Department. The next SPARTAN class is planned for next March and will be opened to firefighters throughout the state of Georgia.
If anyone has any questions about the Georgia SPARTAN Firefighter Program, they may contact Captain Bryson Lott at the Douglas Fire Department.
