Growing up a fire chief’s son, Bobby Eckert knows a thing or two about fighting fires. He works on the front line in Camden, as a Captain with Squad Company 7.
Even in his spare time, Eckert is working to make sure his fellow firefighters are as prepared as they can be.
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WATCH HERE“I saw a void in the fire service training industry,” explained Eckert. “Fire training has become more like checking boxes.”
He and his wife, Brynlee, founded Eckert Fire Tactics. He trains firefighters from all over the world in what he calls “street smart firefighting.”
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SIGN UP “Not every town in America goes to a house fire every day,” said Eckert. “So we’re able to show them the street smarts that we learn and we use on a daily basis in our careers.”
Using hay and pallets instead of propane, Eckert and his team create a real fire scenario. They use props to create realistic obstacles, like cars blocking firefighters’ access to a house fire.
“I want them to have such confidence, that when there’s a fire, they are not second-guessing themselves,” said Eckert. “They’re so proficient with her basic skills, that they’re just getting the job done. It’s second nature to them.”
Eckert says he knows his method works, because of the feedback he’s gotten. One email from a client spoke about a tactic Eckert taught their firefighters, that ultimately helped them pull a child from a burning home.
“The child lived and that it, I got chills when I got that email, I really did,” said Eckert “It made me feel like a million dollars.”
He says he’ll spend all day and night training a fire department if it means he can improve their operations.
“Firefighters’ job is to save life,” said Eckert. “I’m trying to give that fire department their best chance to do their job.”
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