[RP TownTalk] Fire Department Incident and Response

[Paul Richards]

Vernon,
   
  I'm glad you posted this, as from the previous discussions I had gotten a totally different impression of what had happened. I'm glad to hear that this was not a "hazing" or initiation incident. 
   
  I've actually seen this type of thing done before, and not just by young people. At a recent event Tina and I attended there was a professional demonstration of "Fire Play" where the volunteer participants rubbed the same type of alcohol based substance all over their bodies, and then were set on fire by a trained professional. The difference was that they were standing directly next to an Olympic size swimming pool and immediately jumped into the water to extinguish themselves. 
   
  It apparently is just a sensation experience, to experience the sensation of being on fire without actually getting hurt, and I have to admit that if the same demonstration is being performed next year I may actually volunteer to partake in it. I find the idea of what it must feel like to be intriguing!
   
  The only difference here is that these were not trained "Fire Play" professionals but kids, literally playing with fire. The fact that they are supposedly trained fire fighters makes their lack of any safety procedures puzzling, and quite frankly shocking. It's no wonder that someone got burned. 
   
  Again, thanks for putting this into perspective. 
   
  Paul

Vernon Archer <varcher at gmail.com> wrote:
    Upon investigating the situation the chief and president discovered that two company members and the recruit had engaged in an activity that used an alcohol based body product to start small fires on themselves that was then quickly snuffed out. Apparently this is a common activity among young people. The burn to the recruit was inflicted when the alcohol was not snuffed out quickly enough.  
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