It was a lively scene at the Nashville Fire Academy on Wednesday with firefighters from points near and far getting some hands-on training while visiting Music City for Firehouse Expo 2017.
On a mild and sunny day perfect for getting in some work, the sound of rescue tools filled the air and a baby dummy was repeatedly tossed out of a window as firefighters worked up a sweat amid a swath of training stations and demonstrations that covered a wide variety of approaches and techniques.
The attention to detail was palpable at all the stations, where firefighters listened intently to instructors, who posed questions to challenge established habits. Some firefighters expressed that they never even thought of a particular technique or that they might ever encounter one of the more unique scenarios.
But being prepared for the unexpected was a constant theme across the entire morning sessions.
The names emblazoned on the turnouts offered a large picture of those in attendance from various states around the country: Tennessee (Chattanooga, Ashland City, Brentwood, Putnam County); Delaware (Minquadale); Pennsylvania (Easton); North Carolina (Cherokee); New Jersey (Westhampton Township); and Florida (Tallahassee), among others.
A team of instructors from the D.C. Metro area worked with firefighters on urban forcible entry, using hooks and axes to tackle both inward- and outward-swinging doors, as well as cutting tools and saws to force entry through shutters used in industrial structures and garages. Proper hand position and stance were the key elements stressed by instructors due to the heft of the equipment. Handling unique and rarely encountered door mechanisms such as suicide locks was also touched on.
A group from Syracuse, NY, set up one of the more unique series of training stations that was small in scope but big with the hands-on element: machinery rescue operations. The stations involved scenarios in which a victim may have a finger or a hand stuck in a piece of machinery, fencing or glassware. What can a firefighter do when a baby's hand is stuck in a baby food jar? With a small water balloon wedged inside the jar, firefighters worked in tandem with precision tools to cut through the glass without failing by bursting the balloon.
"Pop the balloon and you fail," said lead instructor Auggie Matt with Take the Door Training.
A group of firefighters basking in the sunlight during a lunch break discussed the water balloon challenge, with one sighing and saying "that was no joke." It was indeed one of the more challenging exercises of the day, with one instructor saying only five or six students were able to extricate the balloon without it bursting.
Ladder positioning for second-floor rescues featured improvisational tests, including one in which firefighters with a 15-foot ladder hoisted on a shoulder horizontally had to quickly react when a baby dummy was tossed from a window. Keeping the ladder steady to avoid injury to both firefighter and child was the key. A few stumbles happened, but firefighters continued rotating until they got it right.
Other stations included first-floor window ventilation and entry, flashover recognition and survival simulations. With one firefighter in full PPE and equipped in SCBA going limp in the structure, a team of two was tasked with rapidly removing him through a window with proper tandem techniques to avoid further injury.
The day closed with two fire safety demonstrations, the first covering concerns in building materials and LP's Flameblock OSB sheathing, which is more flame resistant and can greatly slow a fire's spread, aiding crews in controlling a blaze before they even arrive. The demo showed two small structures -- one with Flameblock technology -- which were hit by the same ignition source, and the untreated structure burned far more rapidly.
The second demonstration was sponsored by the National Fire Sprinkler Association and simulated a fire in a home living room both with and without water sprinklers. The striking difference between the two provided the firefighters in attendance all the proof they might need to understand that sprinkler systems save lives and greatly mitigate property damage. Efforts nationwide are ongoing to retrofit older buildings and structures with sprinkler systems, and laws have long been in place requiring new construction to contain sprinkler systems.
All in all a very educational day for both fighting fire and working toward fire safety and prevention.
