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Chronicle Staff Looking back on the days of preâ€"adolescent security, my outlook on life was pretty much the same as any other rugged 10â€"yearâ€"old trying to cope with the system. I hated girls and brussels sprouts, loved hot dogs and the Maple Leafs, and was determined to one day be a fireman. Thirteen years later and supposedly much wiser for it, I‘ve developed somewhat of an appreciation for women and brussels, can‘t stand the sight of a hot dog and wear a New York Islander shirt when I‘m roughing it. One thing that has remained the same, however, is my fascination with firefightâ€" ing. So early last week when my superior told me the Cambridge Fire Department was hoiding a trainâ€" ing session for local media and I was to be the Chronicle representative, admittedly I adopted the enthusiasm of a little leaguer. As the days slowly passed and Friday‘s training session drew closer, my enthusiasm shifted to fright. The thought of going into a smoking tower, depending solely on mechanical breathing apparaâ€" tuses to stay alive, was a little unnerving. Lieut. Jim Fink did little to soothe my nerves. As Fink began our day with an inâ€"class session, it became apparent the veteran firefighter was going to have fun with us tenderfoots. After introducing himself and snickering about how we would not likely ever forget the morning he had planned, Fink started right in on the danger el ement. ‘"*Right off the bat I expect you to respond to my instructions without a great deal of debate. It‘s quite important you do that," he t!:'.:'.‘f".!“" c Without giving us much of a chance to ponder the statement, Fink began a crash course on breathing apparatuses. It wasn‘t too bad when he told us we would have 45 cubic feet of air in our tanks because, quite frankly, I couldn‘t relate it to anything. But when he began to expand on how much that actually was, I began feeling a slight bit faint. "You should have enough air for half an hour under normal conditions. Under exertion you‘re Media members were put through a simulated training session before really finding Once up in the smoke filled tower, there was reason out how dark it was in the smoke filled tower. to smile. * Ray Martin, Merk Bryson photos Lieutenant Jim Fink gave participants inâ€"class instruction before heading out to the real thing. Fulfilling firefighting fantasy down to 15 and people like you who tend to hyperventilate, may go through it in 10 minutes," he said. As he continued to talk about the life support systems, he stopped at the byâ€"pass valve. A safety device that serves as a backâ€"up to the primary system, he thoughfully informed us that, "You can open the valve to the point where you might blow the face mask right of your face." _ An hour and a haif later, three pounds lighter and half a pack of cigarettes closer to my grave, it was time to move outside for the real thing. After familiarizing ourselves with the equipâ€" ment, we divided into groups of three for the last time in a friendly environment. Just to give us an example what it will be like in the tower, Fink stuffed paper towels in our masks and sent us through an obstacle course into a tiny room in which there was a body hidden for us to rescue. The results were pretty much predictable. It was not a pretty sight. â€" The media training session held last week at the Cambridge Fire Department was not without a purpose â€" it was a chance to unveil plans for a national home fire drill to be held October 9 _ With fear still preying on my mind, it began to sink in what an important role firefighters play in dayâ€"today life. My appreciation of them was "Plan To Get Out Alive" is a vital education program devised to raise community awareness of home fires and how to escape them. Local fire departments across Canada will educate parents, chidren and people living alone in proper fire evacuation procedures in residential fires and teach families how to conduct a drill. MeceDonald‘s restaurants of Canada Limited will play a support role, coâ€"sponsoring the program by providing funding, publicity and reaching the fire Members of the Cambridge Fire Deâ€" partment dropped in throughout the day to lend a hand to confused media Purpose for the mission WATERLOO CHRONICLE growing by the second. â€" After all the groups had completed the practice run, it was time for the tower. _______ S As the first group entered the building that had been set ablaze some hours before, I counted how many went in and prayed the same number came out. After a 10â€"minute wait, the smiles underneath the masks that emerged from the tower, was the reassurance I needed. After helping out CHYM radio deejay George Michaels off with his equipment, I began to don the outfit myself. Five minutes later my group was ready. f What I saw, or didn‘t see was amazing. The tower so filled with smoke that vision was near impossible. For the first time I realized what firefighters face on a daily basis. Fear was the farthest thing from my mind. The hardest part had passed and I was still standing. What a buzz. Following a 10â€"minute search through the threeâ€"storey tower, during which I got to lead the group down the stairs without a hitch, the day was over. But thanks to Lieut. Jim Fink and Cambridge fire chief Bill Brown, it was not likely a day I‘d ever forget. drill‘s main focus group â€" families of elementary school aged children. To ensure the program‘s success in Waterloo Region, the support of media, school boards and community officials is needed. The Waterloo County School Boards both Public and Separate, have consented to the distribution of worksheets to all elementary school children by fire prevention officers. Together, families will map out their fire escape route and practise it in their home. With the coâ€"operation and participation of the radio and television broadcast community across Canada, a preâ€"recorded fire alartn will sound at precisely 6 p.m., Oct. 9, andmal Canadians will hopefully participate in the home fire drill. Cambridge Times reporter John Motz helps load the oxygen tank on the harâ€" ness. WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25 1985 â€" PAGE 5