The Eclectic Fire Department recently completed a live fire training session at a donated structure located on Sunny Lane Loop.
Fire chief Joshua Dorminey said these live training exercises are beneficial for several reasons.
Some new EFD firefighters had never experienced a live structure fire before.
“They get to see and hear everything that goes on at a structure fire,” he said. “They get to use the hand lines and experience what it feels like to actually flow water and fight fire to see just how hot it will be on a live call.”
He said working with new firefighters in a controlled environment is ideal.
“They get to see how much work and urgency goes in to a real call without having to worry about lives,” he said.
Dorminey said the live fire exercises also benefit the department’s veterans.
“For those of us who have been doing it for years, we also have to stay sharp,” he said. “It gives us a chance to hone our skills and work on advanced training. It really is beneficial for everyone across the board.”
Live fire exercises are treated as if someone dialed 911 and requested the fire department.
“We operate just like we would during a normal structure fire,” Dorminey said. “We see how long it takes to set up.”
EFD used two fire engines, a tanker truck and a rescue truck during the fire.
“The only thing we were missing were our EMT with an ambulance and a command vehicle,” he said.
Dorminey said the department took a defensive training approach to this particular exercise that lasted around three hours to complete. He said everyone who participated learned something valuable from the experience.
“Our firefighters received some extra training on nozzle control and some pump operations,” he said. “In one of the pictures on our Facebook page you can see importance of getting as low to the ground as you can if you are ever caught in a house fire. Smoke is heavy but stays off of the floor for a little while and that can buy someone enough time to escape from a fire.”
He said the last time EFD held a practice burn was in 2019 and state and federal environmental regulations have increased the amount of work fire departments have to do to an old structure before it can be used in this manner.
“It’s gotten a lot harder to hold live fire training,” he said. “We have to get a licensed inspector to look at the buildings to make sure there is no asbestos or early asphalt shingles or anything that causes environmental or health concerns.”
Dominey said those materials typically have to be removed by the owner of the structure before EFD will consider burning it.
