Let's set the storytelling aside for awhile and just concentrate on technique in general. When you are in an environment like this with planned events and virtually unlimited fire access you need to take advantage of that by taking me inside the story. I want to see action, action, action! You should be showing me firefighters in teamwork! shouting and moving. Nats of the compartment doors flying up... BANG! nat of hose dragging across the ground ... ZIP! water hosing down the building... SHHHHHHHHH! Scanner chatter, blip! of a siren and a flash of a light.. whoooop. Steady wide shot of the home burning with the crackle, crackle, of the fire popping. Stop with the medium shots to medium shots and give me that extra wide - medium - extra tight. When you think it's wide enough shoot wider. When you think it's tight enough, shoot tighter! This will save your @$$ when you are sitting in the edit bay. You should have an opening and closing shot for 90% of your stories. They should be the best shots of your pkg.
I'm alright with a lil Rambo off the shoulder shooting in live action but give me some steady tripod shots. It's been said a hundred times... My head doesn't shake around when I look at something... don't let your shots move around... keep them steady.
DRB is right about the sound off idea. I strongly recommend that the rookies watch their stories that way and pay close attention to the visual structure and quality of your stories. After that you can move on to things like sound editing, story structure, pacing, storytelling, mic work, action/reaction, teamwork and team storytelling, lighting... it's long road. Stick to the basics the gentlemen have suggested to you.