Thursday, May 9, 2013  On Thrusday May 9th Flagtown Fire Conducted part 1 of a 2 part forcible entry drill at Station 36.  Captain Tommy Lachowski and Lieutenant Eric Regiec provided instruction.  They displayed the many tools we carry for forcible entry and described how each is used.  In addition they demonstrated the most common methods used to gain entry to a structure where the normal means of entry are locked or blocked.

Part two of the drill will be hands on and held at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy (SCESTA).  There members will practice many different methods of forcible entry including forcing doors and using the demo saw to cut through the metal bars used to secure windows.


 

Sunday, April 21, 2013  On Sunday April 21st Flagtown fire held our first Quarterly RIT drill of the year.  The drill was organized by Captain Dziminski (36–C5) and held at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy (SCESTA).  The day centered on gaining proficiency with the rescue techniques practiced in the Nance Drill.  The scenario simulated a hose team operating on Division 2.  During a floor collapse the nozzle man fell through to Division 1.  Using the aerial ladder, the RIT crew made entry to Division 2 and rescued the downed fireman using the techniques outlined in the Nance drill.  Multiple iterations allowed teams to practice rescuing both conscious and unconscious firefighters.

The Nance Drill is named for Engineer John Nance, a fireman on the Columbus, Ohio Fire Department who gave his life in the line of duty while fighting a structure fire in a commercial occupancy.  A floor collapse trapped John in the basement.  Details of the drill and the incident can be found here.


 

Sunday, March 24, 2013  On Sunday March 24th, Flagtown Fire joined Station 37 at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy (SCESTA) for live fire training.  The drill was set up by 37 Chief Bruce Vatter and held in the Phase 5 building under fire conditions.  The training consisted of 4 evolutions including a basement fire.  Each evolution incorporated high heat and low visibility due to dense smoke conditions.  Crews were broken into engine and ladder companies.  Engine companies stretched in with primary and backup lines while truck companies laddered the exterior and practiced vent-enter-search (VES) techniques and victim rescue.  All participants improved their VES and extinguishment techniques.

A special thank you to Chief Vatter and Station 37 for inviting us to train with you.


 

Thursday, March 21, 2013  On Thursday March 21st Flagtown Fire participated in a live fire drill designed to increase our situational awareness of the signs of flashover.  The drill was set up by Captain Dziminski (36–C5) and held at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy (SCESTA).  The training consisted of 3 evolutions both on the interior and the exterior of the Phase I burn building.  The interior portion was held under fire conditions where members experienced the conditions (including rollover) that lead up to a flashover in a controlled environment.  Those on the exterior gained valuable experience in reading smoke as the interior fire progressed through its incipient and growth phases.  All members increased their situational awareness skills and learned to recognize the signs that point to an imminent flashover.  Thank you to everyone who participated and made this drill a success.


 

Saturday, February 16, 2013  Members of Station 36 and 38 spent February 16th and 17th in Ice Rescue Tech class taught by ERT consultants. These members spent their weekend in the classroom, practicing in a pool, and in the water on a cold Sunday practicing techniques of scene assessment, and rescuing out of icy conditions. These members chose to dedicate their time and efforts to be prepared for any type of ice rescue we could encounter here in town.


 

Sunday, November 18, 2012  On Sunday November 18th the members of the Flagtown Fire Rit team took part in our quarterly RIT drill.  The RIT team honed their skills working through real world scenarios such as low profile maneuvering.  Scenarios included removing a disoriented firefighter through a window that was partially obstructed in a low visibility environment.

 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012  On Wednesday October 17th members of Flagtown Fire participated in a 3 hour drill designed and developed by Captain Dziminski (36–C5) and held at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy (SCESTA).  Training was under fire conditions and consisted of multiple evolutions centering on VES (Vent/Enter/Search) techniques.  Drivers were able to hone their skills by pumping Ladder 36 and deploying its aerial device.  Officers and seasoned members were presented with complex scenarios where they practiced incident size up, establishing command, and leading crews interior for fire extinguishment and victim rescue.  Our most experienced members (Ex Chiefs Taylor and Wesolowski) joined interior crews to help instruct newer members and drive home proper VES and extinguishment techniques.  Thank you to everyone who participated and made this drill a success.


 

Thursday, July 12, 2012  On Thursday July 12th members of Flagtown Fire participated in a car fire drill designed and developed by Captain Dziminski (36–C5) and held at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy (SCESTA).  Training was under fire conditions and consisted of multiple evolutions centering on car fire extinguishment techniques.  New drivers were given the opportunity to gain experience driving and pumping Engine 36.  Officers and seasoned members practiced incident size up, establishing command, and leading crews in extinguishment operations.  Newer members gained practical experience in the areas of vehicle approach, hose line advancement, and fire suppression.  All members became proficient in both deploying and repacking the bumper line in its new configuration.  Thank you to everyone who participated and made this drill a success.


 

Sunday, July 8, 2012 8:00   Sunday July 8th the members of 36 RIT took to the training grounds to test their skills, in the departments quarterly RIT drill.  The scenario of the day was a lost firefighter who was low on air.  Members practiced with the SCOTT RIT Pack, packaging the "downed" firefighter, radio communications, and removing the Firefighter to safety.  Another successful RIT training by the brothers.

 

Thursday, June 28, 2012  On Thursday June 28th, at Station 36, Flagtown Fire participated in solar panel training given by Deputy Chief Dave Foelsch.  As the technology matures, solar panels are utilized more and more by residential homes as well as businesses.  During this important training, members received valuable information that will help us ensure we operate safely when we encounter solar panels at an incident.