February 26, 2010

Firefighters to practice at doomed sites

      White River Township firefighters are getting a chance to train in abandoned buildings along State Road 135.  The state purchased property along the highway in preparation to expand the road between Stones Crossing and Curry roads, and several buildings are scheduled for demolition before the road widening is expected to start in the summer.  State transportation officials offered to let the fire department use three commercial buildings and one two-story home before the structures are torn down.

         The practice sites are a home at 2571 S. State Road 135 and commercial buildings formerly owned by D. Ray Décor at State Road 135 and Stones Crossing Road.  The home furnishings store moved to a new spot last year.  White River Township firefighters started using the abandoned buildings for practice Thursday and will continue to practice in the structures until March 7.  The fire department can't set the buildings on fire to practice extinguishing flames because they are too close to the road, but they can practice search and rescue scenarios, said Dale Saucier, training officer with the White River Township Fire Department.  Firefighters will be able to cut through walls and ceilings to simulate situations where they would have to break into a structure or respond to a building collapse, Saucier said.  Also, the department has a smoke machine it can use to flood the buildings with smoke and practice search and rescue maneuvers.  "It really is an excellent opportunity for our firefighters," Fire Chief Jeremy Pell said. "A fire scene is so dynamic, it changes so rapidly. You really need realistic scenarios to train properly."  Without actual buildings to practice in, firefighters can practice stretching hoses in parking lots, but they don't have the opportunity to stretch the hoses through buildings.  They can practice setting ladders, but they can't practice setting ladders against buildings and then breaking windows or cutting through walls to get into buildings.  They can check their tools and equipment, but they can't practice using that equipment in life-like settings by cutting through a roof to ventilate a building, for example, Pell said.  Typically the department gets a chance to practice in a home or commercial building about once a year, Pell said.  Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal
 

        

     
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