September 4, 2002
Live fire offers real training
Five area fire departments take part in structural fire exercise
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Members of five area fire departments had a much-welcomed opportunity Saturday morning to practice their trade: forcing entry, navigating through smoke, rescuing people and fire suppression techniques.
Burning a house donated by Eastwood Construction, which was scheduled for demolition anyway, gave these firefighters the chance to work in a live fire from start to finish. The house was located at the corner of Hammond and Townline roads.
"This is invaluable, the only other way we get to train is on your house," said Wayne Hanna, chief of the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department. "It gives us a chance to get exposed to a real structural fire before it is someone's loss."
"As long as a house is intact, still has its doors and windows, we can use it," he noted.
Members of fire departments in Traverse City plus Acme, East Bay, Garfield and Interlochen townships participated in the exercise.
The fire was set in the home's basement and slowly moved through the structure, with a fan outside a lower-level door manipulating the oxygen flow. The beginning stages of the fire featured just trickles of smoke here and there before full smoke and flames flared up. The fire eventually engulfed the home and burned it to the foundation.
The progression of the fire mimicked a real fire. Watching the fire progress from its initial stages is helpful as firefighters often do not arrive on the scene until the fire is well established.
"We don't use any fuel or hydrocarbons to accelerate," said Hanna, noting the house was donated in the spring. "It does take a while to get started; ever try building a campfire using logs?"
Firefighter Eric Seaburg is a volunteer/part-paid member of Battalion 11 from Garfield township. He has previously participated in five training sessions that burned a donated home and appreciates the opportunity it provides.
"These exercises hone our skills," said Seaburg, who has been a firefighter for eight years. "On a fire scene, we pretty much do all the things we do here; 99 percent of the time we go into a house blind."
Getting a house to practice on is a rare event. It happens only when a demolition is already planned and the owner gives the department a call. The process involves a number of permits from the EPA and DNR, inspections, removal of any asbestos, salvaging of any components and utilities shut off. Just before the exercise, the surrounding lot must be bulldozed to remove flammable groundcover.
With rows of fire trucks, police cars and rescue vehicles lining Hammond Road, motorists slowed at the intersection of Townline Road to watch the spectacle of a house burning. Despite the obvious police and fire presence, Seaburg said some people call 911 to report a fire during these exercises.
The day before the fire, members practiced search and rescue techniques in the structure. The day of the fire is tightly choreographed, with firefighters assigned to oversee safety, accountability and the scene.
"We practice standard procedures - never go alone into a fire and never leave your partner," Seaburg said.
A thermal imaging camera also was put through its paces Saturday. "We use it for after the initial fire knockdown," Seaburg noted.
Firefighters donned their 50-plus pounds of gear for the exercise, including 30-minute air bottles. The gear costs between $4,000-5,000 per firefighter, which does not include the thousands of hours of training each one completes on their own time.
But to Seaburg, the equipment and training - just like the time and cost of the practice exercise - are well worth the effort.
"This is the taxpayers investment in security," he said.