On Saturday, May 10, beginning at 8:00 a.m., the Fitchburg Fire Department will be conducting live-fire training at a donated house on Fitchburg Rd, just northwest of the intersection of S. Seminole Hwy and Whalen Rd.
During this type of hands-on training, fires will be lit (one at a time) by trained personnel. A crew will then enter the house and locate and extinguish the fire under the supervision and direction of experienced, trained instructors authorized by the fire chief to conduct this training. This type of realistic live-fire training is the best preparation we can provide to firefighters to prepare them to control dangerous fires. Firefighters learn what it feels like to maneuver a "charged line" (a 1-3/4" diameter hose filled with water) through a house and then maintain control of that same line while extinguishing a fire.
Firefighters are also able to hone their communication and teamwork skills. Safety during a training scenario is just as important as during a incident so personnel are always working to be the eyes and ears for everyone else on the scene.
We invite you to stop by and observe your community firefighters in action, but ask that you comply with established safety perimeters. We will do our best to answer all your questions and provide as much information as possible.
Throughout the day, crews will be conducting small burns inside of the house and this activity may or may not be visible from the road. However later in the afternoon, once the training is completed, additional fires will be lit to and the house will be allowed to burn. Even during this seemingly uncontrolled part of the scenario, firefighters are still learning about fire behavior and methods of protecting exposures, including vegetation, that surround a burning structure.
If you have any questions regarding this training event, please feel free to contact Lt Dave Berman or Lt Rob Kunze at 608-278-2980.