The Future of Firefighting: Inside Rensselaer County’s Advanced Training Ground

Firefighter safety was the number one goal when Rensselaer County, New York, designed their new fire training facility. Unlike the usual old container filled with wooden pallets, the firefighter training technology now used in Rensselaer County, like digital fire simulators, Class B and Class A simulators that are all computer and remote-controlled, gives instructors total control over the training environment. Trainees can work their way up to training in live fire, first practicing in the digital simulator.

The County’s Bureau of Public Safety also plans to use the digital simulator in recruitment efforts, an issue that most volunteer departments are facing right now.

Rensselaer County’s advanced firefighting systems also make for efficient firefighter drills, as systems can be reset quickly for multiple evolutions during one training session. More firefighters have the opportunity to practice drills, making them more confident in their operations.

While the Class B simulator does use propane, and the Class A simulator uses wood combustibles, the CO₂ emissions are reduced by two-thirds of a standard wood burn. Temperature is controlled so PPE doesn’t get damaged. This all works towards the goal of fire service cancer prevention.

Safety, recruitment, cancer prevention — these are all goals that every volunteer fire department strives for. But funding is usually the issue preventing them from moving forward. Training technology deserves a second look. While the upfront costs compared to a standard used container are higher, once you look out over 10 years, you’ll be surprised at the difference.

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