| This morning Potsdam Fire held its monthly May training at the St. Lawrence County Fire Training Center. Members ran through many evolutions and training exercises, gaining knowledge and hands on experience in real world situations.
Interior personnel led in-depth searches in “The Green Building”, a 3 story building used for training exercises. The building was filled with artificial smoke using a smoke machine and blacked out by keeping all windows and doors shut. Then, crews of 2 would go in and search the building for victims, keeping constant radio communications with the Incident Commander, and extricate the victim from the building. Victim location was changed after every evolution. T-5 was used for victim extrication on the third floor. This drill was also an opportunity for exterior personnel to familiarize themselves with airpacks, changing bottles, and a chance to see inside a smoke filled environment with more experienced members to learn what a search consists of.
Crews also had time to learn more about and operate our Tower and its capabilities. This involved operating the outriggers, maneuvering the bucket onto roof tops, up to window sills for victim extrication, and down to the ground, as well as straight up to it’s maximum of 101’.
Crews refreshed ventilation skills using the roof prop. This consisted of using 2 roof ladders, a K-12 saw, and knowledge in vertical ventilation. Members would raise and foot a control ladder, install a second ladder on the roof for better footing, start and operate the saw, and cut a square hole in order to simulate vertical ventilation, a way to release high levels of heat and smoke in a fire.
As always, thank you to those at SLCFTC for allowing us to use this space today, this training is always a great time. |
