By Ty Walker, The Mountain Times
When he was younger, Vincent Burnham thought it was all about breaking down doors and putting out fires. He knew firefighters responded to medical emergencies but didn’t realize to what extent. He would soon experience first-hand that the great majority of calls are medical and unrelated to fire.
Burnham is one of four trainees enrolled in the Hoodland Fire District Student Program, learning the ropes on the job, side by side with career firefighters and paramedics. In June, on just his second full shift on duty, he was part of a team that responded to a bad car crash on Highway 26. Crash victims required serious medical attention.
“I didn’t realize how much firefighters were involved in the EMS side of things, going out to medical emergencies,” Burnham said. “I always thought it was busting down doors and putting out the fire when I was younger.”
Burnham was introduced to firefighting through Hoodland Fire District’s Fire Cadet Program, designed for youth ages 12-18. He learned basic firefighting and emergency skills in a hands-on structured environment on Monday nights at Hoodland Fire’s Main Station in Welches.
A 2021 graduate of the Clackamas Web Academy, Burnham was working as a mechanic until he got laid off from his job last December. That gave him time to reevaluate what he wanted to do for a career. He knew he wanted to do something that helped people.
His mother encouraged him to attend the cadet program, which is where he found out there was the opportunity for serious-minded young adult students 18 or older to pursue a career as a certified firefighter and paramedic through the Hoodland Student Program.
“My mom had told me and my brother about it because we were both – I guess the best way to put it is aimless,” Burnham said. “I wasn’t satisfied with where I was and she told me about it. So we started going on Monday nights and that turned into learning about the Student Program.”
This opportunity to apply to the Student Program presented itself in February this year. He applied and was accepted. He started the two-year training program in June with the option of a third year to earn the paramedic certification.
“It’s really great,” Burnham said. “Everyone here is very nice. They all want to see me become better, improve my skills and perform my job the best I can. They want to see that constant improvement.”
He said being able to help people is something he always wanted to do. He feels a strong drive to help the community of which he feels a strong part. Now he’s learning the skills that can save lives.
Burnham said his goal is to become a career firefighter/paramedic. He said he can help more people if he has good medical knowledge and is in a position to respond to fires when they happen.
“I knew it was going to be physically intensive,” he said. “I didn’t realize how exhausting it is to wear the full turnouts and SCBAs (self contained breathing apparatus) and be doing rigorous physical activity in that kind of insulating clothing. It’s very hot. I have to wash them frequently because I get pretty sweaty in them.”
Burnham said it’s a lot of fun to practice scenarios on a burn to learn house, using a fog machine to simulate smoke. Students work on their ventilation skills or search and rescue people inside the smoldering house.
Since much of the job is focused on the medical side, Burnham is drawn to his emergency medical technician studies. “I like learning about anatomy and physiology, how to help people and recognize certain symptoms,” he said.
In his spare time, when he’s not working a regular 48 hours on, 96 hours off shift, or attending firefighter certification classes at Portland Community College, Burnham enjoys working on cars and playing video games. He and his buddies run a side business flipping cars, but firefighting is his passion.