GATLINBURG, Tenn. — The day was full of training for the people who save lives. The largest firefighting training event took place at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.
The first day was at the Smoky Mountain Weekend of Fire Rescue Expo where around 600 firefighters were involved in educational classes, while another 100 were vendor participants.
One of the firefighters was Clay Beasley. For the last few years, he worked on the front line and said safety is a priority.
"I chose to become a firefighter," Beasley said. "I grew up in the fire service, third generation. Grandfather and father were both firefighters for the city of Memphis. Training is something we do every single day. If you don't train, you're gonna die."
One of the classes was the new fire chief orientation. Fire Chief Tony Watson from Pigeon Forge said they are required by law to have the class.
"We've got driving pumping operating classes, we've got wildland fire classes, we've got vehicle extrication classes, we've got firefighters over in the list, this goes on and on and on," Watson said. "We use this as training for us chiefs, as we get together, as you say, in the command post a pair, and how we ran a major incident."
But participants are also people who may not carry much experience or no experience at all.
The goal of the foundational training is to inspire and to start instilling in students the values that they're going to need to be successful in the fire service.
Emily Wood, firefighter advanced EMT Pigeon Forge Fire Department, said one of the most important lessons she teaches has to do with communication.
"I have a group of close to 25, 14 to 17-year-olds. This really is the next generation of firefighters," Wood said. "You're your team. Your fellow firefighters, they're your family and they're your lifeline. So to be able to accurately communicate with one another when you're on a rescue or when you're in a fire is so critical. So we're really trying to teach the kids give them those foundational skills to do that."
Everyone had something to learn, no matter the age.
"This is important because we need to get the messages out to small kids and to adults," Mike Cooper, the administrative assistant with the city of Pigeon Forge Fire Department, said.
Admission to vendor booths is free and provides a great opportunity for folks to learn more about the firefighting profession and career opportunities.
The next training conference is in June 2024. To participate as a vendor or as a student, you can register online.