Eugene Springfield Whiteaker Fire Station
The Ask: Create a five-photo picture package of a person doing something visually interesting that relates to the story prompt “Unseen Eugene (and Springfield,” alongside captions for each photo. Prompt refers to finding someone who does something unusual, unconventional, surprising or in some way you have not encountered before within the Eugene and Springfield, Oregon area.
The Work: Reached out to the Eugene Springfield Whiteaker Fire Station and set up a time to meet with their fire captain, who would be the main subject of the photo story. Then visited the station and spent an afternoon taking photographs of the fire captain as he helped train new firefighter recruits during a training session.
New firefighter recruits practice safety techniques and drills at the field training facility behind the Eugene Springfield Whiteaker Station. A building was created to be set on fire to simulate realistic situations that firefighters may encounter in the field.
Captain Wayne Morris shows firefighter recruit O’Neill the correct hand placement to use when holding an axe to break down a window bar. Captain Morris is in charge of directing the “fire academy,” which is a 15-week training program for new recruits.
Captain Wayne Morris, wearing a red helmet, yells words of encouragement at a firefighter recruit who is attempting to break the window bar with an axe. The recruits are only 3 weeks into a 15-week program, so the difficulty of the drills will increase each week.
Every time a firefighter responds to a fire, they are required to wear the appropriate protection gear, which includes an oxygen tank. Each oxygen tank holds enough air for about 22 minutes of usage.
Captain Wayne Morris shows firefighter recruits Bernardo and O’Neill examples of how to properly use a fire hook. A fire hook is primarily used to break down different materials quickly, such as wood, ceilings, and walls, so the firefighter can quickly gain access to an area in emergency situations.