As the B-shift comes on at Central Yavapai Fire District Station 53, the three crew members begin to look over the gear they'll rely on to do their jobs over the next 24 hours.
Firefighters around the country typically work a three-shift rotation, with each crew on for 24 hours before a fresh one replaces them. At Central, they begin (and end) work at 8 a.m.
Engineer Jim Bushman goes over Engine 53, a Class 1 pumper, carefully looking for any problems (he finds a lightbulb has burned out) and checking the operation of the equipment (there's a small leak in a pump, which he deems not serious, but it must be diagnosed and repaired soon). As he does this, firefighter Kellan Eckle opens the orange cases that carry the crew's medical gear and does an inventory to ensure all the supplies are properly stocked. Bushman and Capt. Travis Smith are this shift's paramedics - Eckle is an emergency medical technician (EMT), which means his job is to support the other two. He also has tasks such as patient data entry using a tablet computer, as he rides in the back seat of the engine between calls.