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TRENDS l PEOPLE l CULTURE l STYLE
[In the Spotlight]
Travis Gooch Fire Chief at Station 2 in Manteca
June marks the beginning of summer and the beginning of the fire season. One of the Manteca Fire Department’s newest fire chiefs, Travis Gooch, talks about what it’s like to suit up and fight fires and gives advice for you to stay safe this summer.—Jessica Clare
What’s the best part of the job? It’s a different job every day. You need to be flexible, open to new ideas. I end up dealing with people for different reasons every day, for fires or medical calls, or because they need help installing smoke detectors. There are a lot of different things going on that you get to be part of. What do you do when you aren’t fighting fires? We have to inspect every business in town, train at least three hours a day, do weed abatement, go to second, fourth, and sixth grade classes for fire demos, and do CPR training. In addition to that, we do community service events, one or two a month, and recruit reserve firefighters. I need about forty hours a day to get everything done. How do you guys help out when the big wildfires hit? We send engines out as part of strike teams. We’ve gone out to LA, Monterey, San Diego, Kern County, and Big Bear. We have a state-owned engine that we get to use, we just have to put people on it when they ask.
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How is fighting a wildfire different from a structure fire? With structure fires, there’s a lot of work for an hour or two, then you clean up and go home. Brush fires are more strategic, take more planning. You’re facing something that has been burning for days already, and you’re trying to save peoples’ homes. It’s more like a military operation with the size and scope of it. What should people do to keep themselves safe? Change the batteries in your smoke detectors every six months, get carbon monoxide detectors, and know how to use a fire extinguisher. And don’t talk on your cell phone when you’re driving. A lady almost backed into my engine [while I was pulling out of the station] once because she was on her phone and she didn’t know what to do. Seriously, just pull over to the right.
For more information : Visit fire.ca.gov
JUNE 2012
Photo: Matthew James Photo
How long have you been a firefighter? Seven years. I started in San Diego County, and I’ve been in Manteca for six years.