Firefighters Stay Sharp at Riverhead

Twenty-eight firefighters converged on Riverhead Beach Wednesday running a network of lines through fire trucks and sending streams of water arcing into the harbor.

At each truck, teachers from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy reviewed pump skills and critiqued firefighters' actions.

Instructors peppered crews with questions, hosting mini field quizzes amid the din of hissing water and rumbling pumps.

The goal, said Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland, is to keep firefighters' skills sharp for the real deal — fires.

They know the drill. Marblehead firefighters have been through 12 weeks of fire academy training.

"They know pumps and hydraulics front and back," the fire chief said.

But the classroom studies, held Tuesday, and Wednesday's field work keep them fresh, he said.

Training never stops. Crews prepare and practice so their skills don't get stale, the chief said.

Other firefighters including those from Swampscott, Gloucester and Oxford fire departments joined the training.

At Riverhead, among stacked boat ramps waiting to get back in the water, the three trucks formed a triangle, each station home to lessons on pumps and hydraulics. 

Each truck sports a metal control panel on the side where pump operators read dials, slide levers and pull handles. 

The instructors made sure the crews knew what to do, immediately, if a line broke or pressure needed adjusting.

Their action can mean the difference between saving and losing property and lives.