Fire is a major cause of disasters around the world. In the US alone about 10,000 persons are injured by fireworks and about 5000 injured by outdoor fires through charcoal/wood burning stoves and propane grills every year. There were 11 deaths reported in 2007 associated with fireworks. Gas and charcoal fires caused about 3400 home structure fires resulting in a property loss of $137 million. These statistics show that the fire department has an important role to play in the society.
Fire fighting requires extensive training apart from physical fitness, good vision and basic education. In fact to become an active duty fire fighter, about 600 hours of training is required over a period of 12 to 14 weeks. The training is conducted typically by the fire department at a fire academy or a university. Some of the courses in fire training include English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Fire Science related to real life fire situations. The trainees would undergo training in handling various fire fighting equipments and would learn how to use SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) weighing 30 lbs. It is estimated that there are around 600,000 persons who have undergone fire training in U.S.
Apartment from initial fire training, fire department personnel need to undergo regular mock fire drills and update their knowledge and hone their skills with the latest fire department equipment available in the market. Live fire training simulators are available for training fire fighting aspirants. They contain apparatus like propane tanks, air compressor, foam tanks, front bumper extension prop, four gas fired props – engine fire, passenger fire, wheel fire, and fuel spill fire, automated touch screen controls and remote controls. The fire department training also includes viewing videos taken during real life situations.
Creating realistic conditions is important for effective fire fighter training. The training props need to have proper control system for adjusting flame height, create smoke, and quickly shut down the entire system if necessary. Remote operation would also be useful to provide additional safety. Apart from normal fires, dumpster fire requires special fire training equipment. They need to be compliant with the relevant NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) codes. These fire fighting equipment comprise large corten steel container, air compressor, generator of specified capacity, automated controls with pendant, operator controlled flame height and extinguishment, gas fired prop, metal movable lids, LPG supply line and heavy duty casters. The dumpster fire trainers must have simulator training capabilities including direct and indirect fire attack, forcible entry SCBA use, hose and nozzle handling, exposure protection etc.
To conclude, the fire department training equipment needs to be constantly upgraded to handle various types of fires and the fire department personnel need to be trained on a periodic basis to acquire the necessary skills to fight fires.
