Mostly clear. Low 58F. Winds light and variable..

Mostly clear. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.

LINCOLNTON – The young men who were recently hired by the Lincolnton Fire Department are united in their burning desire to serve their community. All four come from different high schools and backgrounds, but they all ended up as firefighters because they want to help others.

“Our hiring process consists of a written test, a fitness physical abilities test and an interview,” Battalion Chief Over Training Rusty Reynolds said. “We’re looking for knowledge of the trade on the written test, physical ability and interpersonal skills. There’s a lot of dealing with the public in this profession. These guys all exhibited those skills very well in their process, therefore, here they are.”

On Saturday, the fire department conducted a live burn which is a training exercise for new and seasoned fire fighters. For a live burn, the firefighters burn down a house that was donated by the homeowner. 

There’s a lot of requirements and preparation involved in obtaining a house to be used for a live burn. An asbestos inspection needs to be done first. If there is asbestos present, it either needs to be removed or the house can’t be used. Obviously, with an actual fire, there may be asbestos present, but Lincolnton firefighters have equipment to protect them, according to Reynolds. A waiver from the Department of Health and Human Services and EPA must also be obtained. Appropriate leaders and supervisors must be on hand for the burn to supervise the newer firefighters so that they stay safe. 

“We’ve been very fortunate that with every group we’ve hired we’ve had a structure to train them on,” Reynolds said. “That’s very important. You’d never want somebody’s first fire to be an emergency. You want to be sure they’re prepared and you as a supervisor know how they’re going to react to that situation.”

When the Lincolnton Fire Department hires a firefighter, they’re require them to get the state firefighter’s certification within two years of hire, Reynolds added. They’re also required to become an EMT basic because of all the medical calls the department gets. 

“When we onboard them, we put them through a five-week training process,” he said. “A lot of it is remedial or refresher, but some of it is the ’Lincolnton way.’ How our hoses are loaded on the truck, how to clean your PPE properly with our equipment and we do a lot of safety stuff. The number one thing that I want, and the other chiefs here want is for these guys to have a 30 year career that’s safe and they’re healthy so they can retire and have a good quality of life afterwards.”

On Monday, with the excitement of the live burn over, the four young firefighters were working with Reynolds on knot tying.

McKenzie Williams, who lives in Maiden and graduated from North Lincoln High School in 2019, is a third-generation firefighter. He got some of his training at the Lincoln County School of Technology and finished at Gaston College.

“I decided to pursue a career in firefighting,” he said. “I really like it and wanted to get better and train more. I figured full-time would be the best way to do it. I like doing what I can to protect the community.”

A Gaston County resident, Brandon Grainger graduated from Cherryville High School in 2014. He’s currently finishing up his classes at Cleveland Community College.

“I’ve had a few friends that have worked in Lincolnton before and they really enjoyed it,” he said. “I like all the different aspects of the job. Each day is not the same thing. One day may be fighting a house fire, the next day you may be pulling someone out of a confined space using these ropes. I like the challenge of it and that you can always be learning.”

The youngest of the group, Luke Workman graduated from West Lincoln High School in 2021. He lives in the North Brook area and finished his firefighting training at Gaston College.

“The community’s given back to me, I wanted to return the favor,” he said. “I love the job. It’s an adrenaline rush. I reckon I’m an adrenaline junkie.”

Workman’s parents own a construction company so he’s familiar with how houses are put together which he said helps him when fighting a fire.

“You know how it’s built and where the weak points are,” he said. 

Another North Brook resident and 2008 graduate of West Lincoln High School, Jordan Leonhardt wishes he’d done this 10 years ago. He previously owned a landscape business and volunteered at North Brook Volunteer Fire Department.

“I decided I wanted to do it full-time,” he said. “I like serving the community. As you know, there’s not many people wanting to become firemen like there used to be.”

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