Steinbach’s Fire Hall, completed in 2008, has seen another significant addition this past January. Construction of a confined spaces training course was completed in the basement of the fire hall and Steinbach’s firefighters have already made extensive use of it.
Deputy Fire Chief, Don Smith, expressed the importance of this new addition.
“There are several rescue scenarios that this setup allows our firefighters to simulate and experience. All the scenarios are conducted in pitch-blackness with smoke screens inserted into the masks of the firefighters, creating a more realistic burn situation. Firefighters who have run the course have only said great things about the experience.”
Some of the rescue scenarios include looking for trapped victims and/or firefighters, ceiling collapses, entanglements and wall breaches. Smith explained that when a ceiling collapses and there are wires and t-bar at ground level, new risks and challenges are presented to rescue personnel. A portion of the confined spaces course simulates an entanglement situation, providing firefighters with firsthand training on techniques for dealing with those scenarios. Wall breaches involve the breaking of drywall between studs to escape a room when there is no other way out. At times, firefighters must even remove their breathing apparatus temporarily to escape through narrow spaces.
A sound system has also been set up in the same room and sounds such as breaking glass, popping sounds, and white noise are played during the training sessions to create an even more realistic situation.
In addition to these scenarios, the new confined spaces training course also provides valuable lessons in conserving air, familiarizing yourself with your surroundings on all sides, and improving communication between firefighters when responding to a fire call or performing a rescue.
Outside fire departments have already expressed interest at using Steinbach's confined spaces training course.
