AVON, OH—Firefighters in Avon are getting ready to begin fire tower training next spring, according to Capt. Michael Panehal, the Avon Fire Department’s training officer.
Sometime this month, he said, the project for the new tower will be bid out. The completion of the project, approved by City Council, is anticipated for spring 2020.
The tower will be able to furnish some training components needed in most two-story home fires, which comprise the majority of home fires. Examples include bailout training, such as jumping out a window, Panehal said.
The tower will also allow training in advancing the hose line off the fire engine, which currently is done in the fire department bays.
“The problem with our station,” said Panehal, “is we are doing our training in a large garage, more like a warehouse, four bays with no corners or windows, so we risk damaging a vehicle in the garage.”
The height of the training tower will be about 35 feet. The total footprint is about 30 feet by 20 feet.
Putting ladders against a building is instructional for the firefighters. There will be some live fire training and generating smoke with smoke machines.
“We will also have movable walls, said Panehal, ”in which we can configure a maze. There are cutouts in the maze that firefighters will have to pass through, remove their scuba tank and mask and get though, then put both back on.”
The practice scenarios are almost endless. They will be able to practice ventilation, cutting holes in roofs or the side of a building, forcible entry and forcing a front door open or metal doors in commercial buildings.
From the top of the tower, they will train in rappelling and rope rescue, as well as doing confined space training.
“We will also see fire behavior and how fire reacts,” said Panehal, “and do foam training for flammable liquids."
The “big one” though, is the one that puts people in awe of the skill of trained firefighters: carrying someone out of a second-story window down the ladder.
“Victim rescue,” said Panehal, “requires putting a ladder at the window, going in, closing the door to the room, finding the victim, going back to the ladder with the victim in the arms of the firefighter and carrying them down the ladder.”
All in all, said Panehal, the new training tower is “like a big jungle gym for firefighters.”
New firefighters are on probation for a year. During that time, they will do all their training with a goal to have 16 hours of training per month. There is also what amounts to a live fire drill, with drivers driving up to the tower wearing all their gear.
For the future, Panehal believes the tower and the training that will take place there will ensure that all the firefighters are trained to the nth degree.
“We hope we never have to go into anyone’s house to put out a fire. But if we do, we would like to have our training to the point where we can efficiently put out the fire as safely and effectively as possible,” said Panehal.
“The training tower will help maintain our insurance rating and keep our individuals trained and ready to go at any given time. Also, as a growing department, we want our recruits to be trained to the best of their ability, as well as to the best of our standards.
“Our fire department takes pride in being an ‘all hazards’ department and being prepared for the future. This training facility will be instrumental in accomplishing that mission. It will allow us to perfect our craft and to ensure that our personnel are always prepared.”
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