A chauffeur is just a fancy way large fire departments refer to their operators. That's how they justify their higher salaries. Let's face it, an excellent operator is worth every penny to the fire department. They are able to operate the apparatus within the designed limits of performance built in by the manufacturer, they are careful when they are driving to avoid accidents which could cause damage and/or hurt or kill firefighters and civilians. And they are careful when they are on the scene placing the apparatus in operation to put out a fire or raise a ladder or operate the power source for tools. They are more than just drivers!
There are three major and complex skills the chauffeur must be able to perform under emergency situations:
Training, therefore, must necessarily be major and complex. It can't be performed in a matter of a couple of nights.
You may ask that question, but consider the risk involved in moving several tons of apparatus, water, tools and equipment down a shared highway with anywhere from 4 to 12 firefighters on-board. We share the highway with others whose abilities may be questionable but we are expected to get from point A to point B safely and in one piece. Therefore, the expectations of the traveling public, pedestrians, bystanders, firefighters, fire commissioners and insurance agents are that the person operating that piece of apparatus is well trained, knowledgable, level-headed and sober. And there's only one way to get that way - many hours of training and practical experience.
Fire Departments send their drivers to an Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) and think that these classes magically create Superdrivers. The problem is that many EVOC courses fail to address the dynamics and physics behind large vehicle behavior. Observe the following video:
Total Stopping Distance is the total distance that it takes you to see a hazard, process the hazard in your brain, apply the brakes, and come to a complete stop. If you are approaching an intersection, it doesn't matter what color the traffic light is. Just be prepared to stop. What do you need to do to prepare to stop? You need to first slow down! And if you are rolling up to an intersection where you have the red light, it should be a no brainer -- you must stop!
The course of training outlined here will consist of a minimum of eleven hours of training but since we want our operators to be the best of the best, you should consider at least double that amount of hours. It will cover driving skills as well as operational skills.
The following link leads to the Greenport Fire Department Driver Training Manual. It is constantly under review and will shortly be updated to include updated evaluation forms and additional references.
The following videos should demonstrate why it is important to keep yourself safe by always wearing your seat belts. The video on the bottom is about a local Assistant Chief from East Greenbush Fire Department who had an accident while returning from a call in his chief's vehicle.
Safety will be the key to any and all training including driver training and should be considered by passengers as well. You should read this article if you don't think wearing seatbelts in a fire truck is the best action to get yourself home safely.