Volunteer firefighters in Orange County endured fast-paced drills Wednesday, preparing to make life or death decisions.
The group of 46 recruits is joining the ranks at a critical time when numbers are low.
Fire instructor Terry Ward says it's hard to keep volunteers in the departments they sign up with. Many of those volunteers are young, and when they grow up they often don't stay in the area.
The recruits graduate from their 90-hour training program on Friday.