SAEGERTOWN — Joe Hazlett, Blooming Valley Vol-unteer Fire Department chief, was among the first firefighters to enter a “structure fire” Wednesday evening — knowing he was safe from any harm.
The firefighters were trained in a new Mobile Fireflasher Trainer, a live-burn training trailer recently acquired through a grant from Federal Department of Home-land Security.
Dressed in his firefighter’s bunker gear, Hazlett has been to many real fires in his five years of service and he knows exactly what it’s like to be inside a burning building. “It’s very realistic,” he said of the conditions inside of the trailer, which measures 53 feet long and stands 13 feet, 6 inches high. Painted a bright fire-engine red, it resembles a huge railway car.
The grant was awarded to Saegertown, Hayfield and Blooming Valley fire departments as a Federal Fire Act Grant. The unit
costs $330,000, of which $313,500 was provided by the grant.
The equipment will be owned by Saegertown VFD, according to Charles Lawrence, Saegertown chief. It will be used for training in various facets of fighting fires, such as basic firefighting, rapid intervention
teams for rescuing trapped victims in a fire, or how to depart a fire if already inside the building, such as by breaking a window. Also, firefighters will have the opportunity to learn how to effectively break through a roof from the outside to help extinguish a fire.
Propane is ignited to simulate a house fire, Lawrence said, with the scene quickly including both smoke and flames.
Other features of the equipment include a movable roof, movable walls, basement fire access stairs and various tools such as roof-top vent prop, breach door prop, breach wall prop and others.
Lawrence said the new unit means the fire department will no longer have to burn old houses for training. He said the state has mandated stringent requirements for live-burn training, making it difficult, if not impossible, to train under actual conditions. This unit allows local departments to provide live and safe training, using heat, smoke and fire.
The unit does its job well, said Hazlett. “It’s about as real as you can get.” The nice part, he added, is that in addition to giving firefighters the ability to learn the various aspects of firefighting, it also allows them training in putting on their protective gear.
“This gives us the opportunity to help train new people,” said Hazlett, as it allows firefighters time to get adjusted to their protective gear, “so when they have to respond to a real fire, they are used to doing that. It may be an incentive” to get more people to volunteer, knowing they can train in a safe environment.
Although the trailer was purchased for the three previously mentioned departments, Lawrence said the facility will be made available to other departments for training, as well as to the Crawford-Venango Fire School held each year at Cambridge Springs.
Plans are to next year offer the building to other departments by making it mobile for weekend training at other sites, eliminating the need for those firefighters to leave their specific areas to take the training. Cost will only be charged for materials used, such as the propane, said Lawrence.
The grant application was made to FEMA, and Lawrence believes the regional capability, with more than one fire department involved, was one reason for the approval.
Hazlett praised the efforts of Lawrence in getting the grant for the equipment. “The community really needs to thank Chuck (Lawrence) for as much work as he has done (to get the grant),” he said.
Eight Saegertown firemen received training last weekend and are now certified to run the unit.
Jane Smith can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at jsmith@meadvilletribune.com.
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