Sedalia’s Newest Firefighter Recruits Experience Realistic Training

Six recruits from the Sedalia Fire Department went through a training exercise at 11th and Montgomery Monday morning that simulated a house fire. We spoke with Lt. Jeremy Pepin about the training:

“We’re doing a final capstone project for the new recruits. We’re putting all the pieces together that they’ve learned since January in class, putting them through a real-life scenario with fake smoke and seeing how they do. So far, they’re doing great. Looks like they’re about ready to go to shift,” Pepin told KSIS.

“This is as close as we can get,” Pepin said of the simulation, which took place in a house built in 1873. “Obviously there’s no heat or actual fire, and we have fake victims in there that we’re rescuing.”

Lt. Pepin noted that the six recruits will be serving the City of Sedalia as firefighters starting next month. He added that all will be going through EMT class in July.

The house being used for the simulation is soon to be renovated and the SFD had full permission to use the structure for training purposes, Lt. Pepin noted.

Engine 4 and the SFD’s new squad truck rolled up on scene, and the recruits received instruction from Lt. Pepin and Lt. Nathaniel Nevels before they suited up in full firefighting gear.

The harmless, white smoke was very realistic, as it poured out the back door as well as the front door, a broken side window and the chimney.

“Whenever we get a chance for something like this, we certainly always take that opportunity,” Lt. Pepin said of Monday’s training exercise.

After all was said and done, Lt. Pepin said he and Lt. Nevels would conduct a “hot wash” or after-action report in the afternoon.

“We’ll go over everything they did today, everything we can do to improve, everything they can do to improve, and whatever we can do to improve our training going forward to keep making everybody better and better,” Pepin said.

There were no injuries reported during the training exercise, Pepin said, noting that “we have an incident safety officer here too. So we have someone trained to make sure nothing gets out of hand.”

“We’re real careful,” he noted of the simulated fire scene. “We don’t want to hurt anybody in training, that’s for sure.”

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Lt. Nevels told KSIS that the SFD has invested a lot of time in training the recruits in their evolution and careers as firefighters.

He added that the new recruits are energetic, hard-working guys. “They have a desire to serve their community, and they have invested a lot of time and energy into this process, as well as the instructors, so that they can be prepared for coming on shift here in about another month or so.”

One of those recruits spoke with KSIS about his experience so far.

“Oh, it’s great! Nathan Belardo said. “We practice all this stuff at the station and, you know, getting to do it in an actual house, it’s a lot more eye-opening, a lot more realistic, and I’m thrilled to get to do it.”

Belardo noted that all six recruits applied for job interviews and started their firefighting careers at the same time.

Belardo is from Sedalia and was home schooled.

Does he enjoy the work so far?

“I do,” Belardo enthusiastically replied.

As for Lt. Nevels, he and his wife are from Sedalia. He served 10 years with the Sedalia Fire Department, then moved to Springfield and served four years as a firefighter there, then returned to Sedalia.

“We wanted to be closer to family,” Lt. Nevels said of his reason for returning to Sedalia. He was also home schooled. Nevels also serves as a firefighter in the US Air Force, with over a decade of service, and counting.

Recently reelected First Ward Councilman Tom Oldham and Fourth Ward Councilwoman Rhiannon Foster were also om hand to watch the training exercise.