VIDEO: New recruits to the Spokane Valley Fire Department are three weeks into their 18-week training program. They have primarily focused on becoming familiar with firefighting gear and equipment in the first few weeks and have now progressed to working with live flames. SVFD Training Captain Brad Huffman says that the program ensures all recruits are ready for anything on day one. “Structure fires, you just never know when they're going to happen, you could have the worst fire of your career on the first day of your career. So we try to prepare them right away for that,” Huffman said. The trainees will continue to undertake simulation training in the next several weeks to prepare to join the firefighting force.