Page 6-The Michigan Daily - Weekend etc. - April 2, 1992

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Firefighter Mike Masten (right) familiarizes recruits Norbert McKenny, Kathleen Summersgill, and Mark Edman (left
to right) with the operation of the ladder truck, Tower One.

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Lieutenant Jim Wallace supervises as recruit Dan
Stabley connects a supply line from a fire hydrant
to a truck during part of the state test required for
firefighter certification.

Recruits learn hose and ladder skills at the training tower behind the Fire Service
Instruction and Research Center on North Campus.

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100 feet above the parking lot at the full extension of Tower
One's ladder, the recruits were introduced to the idea of
fighting fires above ground level.

Lori Walker prepares her Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus before extinguishing a burning car ignited
by the instructors.
On Friday, March 27th the Ann Arbor Fire
Department graduated its latest group of
recruits. These 16 individuals, chosen from
over 1,600 applicants, comprised a highly
diverse team of men and women who con-
sidered the group more important than the
individual.
On February third, these recruit firefight-
ers began 329 hours of instruction that taught
them hazardous materials handling tech-
niques along with firefighting and medical
first responder skills. About half of this time
was spent in the classroom and the other half
was hands-on training. AAFD firefighters
and officers acted as instructors, and some
even came in on their days off to help.
The'group's emphasis was on teamwork.
Their motto was "16 on the 27th", because
the recruits' goal was for all 16 to graduate
on March 27th. This attitude was surely part
of the reason everyone passed the extensive
written and practical examinations required
to become probationary firefighters.
After receiving their badges at the gradu-
ation ceremony, they huddled up and
cheered "16 on the 27th" one last time.
They are now part of a larger team - the
AAFD - whose impressive average fire re-
sponse time of just over four minutes means
that the citizens of Ann Arbor are in good

Chief Markus pins a badge on Probationary Firefighter
Kathleen Summersgill at graduation last Friday.

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