March 29--They've fought hundreds of building fires in their career, but on Thursday a group of New York City firefighters were involved in a firefight of a different kind in Fort Lauderdale.
The group of 17 learned how to safely fight infernos aboard ships during a training course at Resolve Maritime Academy's three-story, 140-foot long Gray Manatee simulator at Port Everglades.
For New York City Fire Department Capt. Stephen Lonergan, of one of the key goals in the five-day course is to learn about the safety and communication issues that can occur when fighting fire below the main deck of a ship.
"That's a whole different environment," said Lonergan. "We're good at going up, not so good at going down."
Resolve's marine firefighting training simulator has an engine room, galley, catwalks and multiple watertight doors and hatches. It also has more than 20 compartments connected by horizontal and vertical passageways.
Crews in training on Gray Manatee are put in realistic situations filled with live fire, smoke and a flooded ship chamber -- all designed to simulate a burning ship.
For firefighters accustomed to fighting fire with water, a fire on a boat can present unique problems, said Michael Buckheit, battalion chief and marine battalion commander at the fire department's Brooklyn Navy Yard.
"They're learning how water can affect the ship negatively," said Buckheit, noting that too much water could cause the ship to turn quickly to one side or to list.
Shipboard fires also can spread fast and pose extra dangers for firefighters, added Buckheit, who's responsible for coordinating marine training for the city's fire department.
The skills learned at Resolve will be passed on to other land-based firefighters who are likely to be called out to a boat fire but have never been taught about boat fires, Buckheit said.
Academy director Denise Johnston said Buckheit's group is the second set of New York firefighters to undergo training at the facility. The acadeny has a new two-year contract with the New York fire department, she said. Resolve trainers also have traveled to New York to give the firefighters a fast rescue boat training course, Johnston added.
Another group of New York firefighters is slated to arrive Tuesday to undergo similar training.
"They're coming down in groups to go through the shipboard class," said Johnston. "It's absolutely an honor to train some of New York's bravest."
Resolve has conducted firefighting training for about a dozen fire departments across the country, including firefighters from Fort Lauderdale.
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