CORDELE — When we think about firefighters we think of them as people who “fight fires.” That is the most important job of a firefighter, but when you take a deeper look into the lives of these public servants, you will find that they are much more than that.

Shawn McNulty, a 1992 graduate of Crisp County High, has been with the Crisp County Fire Department full time for the last 15 years.

“There is a lot of training involved,” said McNulty. “As technology advances and research is completed, new techniques are discovered or old techniques improved. We have to stay informed of the changing times so our training can adapt.”

McNulty not only is a certified fire fighter and fire safety coordinator. He is also a trained EMT, having taken courses at South Georgia Technical College. During his studies he has experienced and gone through many types of training including rope training, dealing with flammable liquids or accelerants, structure fires, hazmat, search and rescue, and extrication.

“As first responders we are trained in numerous areas to handle any situation that may arise when out in the field. The hazmat and flammable liquids training prepares us for the proper way of dealing with a crime in which there is the presence of a meth lab. These labs use numerous chemicals that can be highly flammable.”

Firefighters also respond to vehicle accidents, and if it is necessary, they are trained to use the “jaws of life.”

“I guess you could say that the training is ongoing,” said McNulty. “Now there is even terrorist training available. This training is basically for awareness. Sometimes terrorist attacks are targeted at first responders. We need to make sure we are conscious of our surroundings.”

Being aware of what is going on in the immediate environment is important in fire fighting as well. When firefighters respond to a structure fire the first thing they do is assess the area around them.

One of their first duties is to try and identify what type of fire they are dealing with. This helps them determine whether they need to handle the fire from the inside or the outside, and it also tells them what type of equipment they need to utilize.

McNulty and other firefighters from Crisp County devote as much time as possible to educating the public on fire safety and fire prevention.

“We are really trying to get the message out about fire safety and help people in the community understand that even though we cannot prevent every fire, there are still things they can do on their own that will lessen the chance of fire,” said McNulty.

“That is the most rewarding part of the job — helping people. I feel like I am giving something back to the community.”

As part of the effort to educate the community at large, firefighters offer classes on using a fire extinguisher. There are also CPR courses for those who wish to learn.

McNulty and other firefighters from the county devote time to appear at local schools and talk to the children about the importance of fire safety.

They handle a program that provides smoke detectors for people who don’t have them in their homes. Anyone can call the department and ask to have a detector installed by someone free of charge.