Fire districts team up to acquire fire simulator

Mobile unit safer for training than "Burn and Learn" controlled structural fires

By Garth Guibord

Pamplin Media Group, Feb 11, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Submitted photo / Estacada News

Four fire districts teamed up to purchase this fire simulator with the help of a federal grant.

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To properly train volunteer and professional firefighters, the Boring, Hoodland, Sandy and Estacada fire districts had to wait for a local property owner to donate a building for a “Burn and Learn,” a controlled fire used for training purposes.

The Boring Fire District, for instance, gets only one or two such opportunities each year, and often structures are deemed inappropriate due to the presence of asbestos or other harmful materials. Even when a suitable building is found, dangers exist in these training exercises that can cost a firefighter his or her life.

Now, the four districts have a tool at their disposal to safely train firefighters at their convenience: a 53-foot, mobile, live-fire training simulator.

“We were looking for an opportunity to … not rely on donations from homeowners,” said Boring Division Chief Don Arbuckle. “It’s going to be a fun training aid.”

Each of the four districts chipped in $8,000 on the simulator, and the rest of the cost was funded by a $288,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The first training exercise is expected to take place Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Boring, and the simulator will move around to each district.

“It’s pretty impressive … they do a lot of stuff cooperatively, which is nice because that saves our taxpayers money and there’s no reason to have four of these trailers,” said Alice Lasher, public information officer for the Sandy and Boring districts.

The simulator has an array of features, including stove and sofa fire simulations; a wall area that allows for the installation of drywall and two-by-fours to simulate firefighters breaking through walls; a spring-loaded door for firefighters to learn about prying or pushing open doors; stairs to simulate basement fires; and a roof area for plywood and sheetrock to simulate breaking in through a roof. The inside can also be compartmentalized for a rescue situation.

Instructors control fire simulations from the inside and can immediately stop a fire — which is fueled by propane gas — if necessary. Sensors and a computer track the temperature to provide data on exercises and will also automatically shut down the simulator if temperatures rise to more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

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