Fire in the Blood

NIC course brings career full circle. By Kaye Thornbrugh. Photos by Tom Greene.

The call comes in at an otherwise quiet time. An elderly woman has fallen outside her home. The firefighters at the station move like clockwork. Within moments, an ambulance and fire engine are pulling out of the bay.

Kody Wright is in the back of the ambulance. Some 90 percent of calls are medical calls like this one, he says. It turns out that being a firefighter isn’t all about kicking down doors and rushing into burning buildings.

The woman is still outside when the truck and ambulance roll to a stop. She’s alert and responsive, but hit her head when she fell, so a few tests at the hospital are in order. Even as she’s loaded into the ambulance and the doors shut behind her, she’s remarkably upbeat.

Wright moves easily about the white-and-gray interior, despite the sliding sense of motion every time the ambulance makes a turn. It’s enough to throw a person off-balance, but he never misses a beat as he asks the patient questions and makes careful note of her answers. He’s a calming presence.

Before long, the patient has been safely delivered to the hospital. Then it’s back to the station on Hayden Avenue to await the next call.

Growing up in Coeur d’Alene, Wright always wanted to be a firefighter, but he didn’t remember that until nine years ago, when he saw a childhood photo of himself wearing a chief’s helmet after a fire in his neighborhood.

“That sort of sparked something in me,” he says.

It didn’t come together right away. Becoming a firefighter is no small commitment, and initially, Wright says, he was unsure if it was really the right path for him. Still, at a friend’s urging, he went on a ride-along with the Spokane Valley Fire Department. After less than 12 hours, he knew.

“It almost brings me to tears, because that was a real turning point in my life,” he recalls. “I found a home in the career. And it’s not just a job—it is really a lifestyle. They call it a brotherhood, and that really sunk into the depths of my heart.”

Wright received his training from the Fire Fighter 1 Academy at North Idaho College.

“I went through the inaugural year the first year they had the academy, and it was awesome,” Wright says. “It was run by the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. What a great benefit to have that in a local area.”

Fire Fighter 1 Academy is an intensive, 15-week course that prepares students for the Idaho Firefighter 1 certification exam, accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). Instruction includes basic firefighting skills, hazardous materials, and infection control for emergency responders. Full-time, professional firefighters from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, Kootenai Fire and Rescue and Northern Lakes Fire Department instruct the academy.

“I have worked with NIC for many years and have been more than impressed with their program,” says Mike Mather, Division Chief of Training with Northern Lakes Fire District. He also instructs the hazardous materials section of Fire Fighter 1 Academy. All fire departments in the area look for individuals who have already obtained their Firefighter 1 certificate, Wright says. It’s up to individuals to get that training on their own.

“It’s very, very critical,” he says. “Going to NIC and getting that training put me light years ahead of the people around me, because I already had that certificate.” Rambo-types don’t make for successful firefighters, Wright says, because teamwork is such a huge part of what they do.

“People who get into this career because they get to drive a big red truck, kind of the bravado aspects—well, that stuff wears out,” he says. “I like to see people who want to serve others, who reach outside of themselves to serve other people.”

It’s a high-risk, high-stress job that requires constant vigilance. Wright and his fellow firefighters have to be prepared to respond to any situation, at any time, for any reason. They have to have their heads constantly on a swivel, Wright says, and it’s both physically and mentally exhausting.

“For me, personally, the most difficult part of the job are what we call ‘kid calls,’” he says. “Any child that reminds me of my daughter is going to be difficult for me to deal with emotionally.”

Compassion is key for firefighters.

“In our profession, we are dealing with people at their worst times,” Mather says. “We’re in their homes. We’re dealing with them when their house is burning, their mother is dying, their vehicle has been struck and they’re injured—all the worst times. It’s not just about pulling hose and breaking doors down. It’s being able to walk in and hold somebody’s hand and talk to them, whatever the crisis.”

That’s what Wright loves most about his job: the human element.

“I like to serve and help people, and this is a fantastic way to do that,” he says. “That recharges me. It’s a high for me to help somebody.”

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