The Manhattan Fire Protection District successfully conducted a live fire training at a donated farmhouse on Scheer Road, creating conditions similar to those firefighters would face when responding to a structural fire.
Fire District Chief Steve Malone and Deputy Chief Dave Piper explained these training exercises help firefighters improve response times, which are critical when it comes to saving lives and structures.
In addition to working on response times, the invaluable training provides firefighters with the opportunity to establish and maintain proficiency in fighting a real structural fire. Especially in a district where the majority of calls are EMS-related, having the chance to keep their firefighting skills fresh is essential.
Within the district’s footprint, several older farmhouses remain, some of which have been remodeled with additions, while others retain their original condition. They present unique challenges for firefighters in terms of accessibility.
Steep roofs and steep, narrow stairwells can make it difficult to move water lines, and transition areas where the home has been remodeled also can become problematic. Malone said fires on the first floor in these types of buildings regularly spread quickly and are almost guaranteed to move to the next floor and attic.
Another major challenge is establishing a rural water supply where no hydrants are accessible. Malone explained they will either go to the closest fire hydrant as a fill site or Station 82, which has 30,000 gallons under the bay floor cistern that they can draft out of to fill up that way.
“Fires in today’s environment are doubling in size every minute. The amount of time a person has to be survivable in an IDLH [immediately dangerous to life or health] smoke-filled environment is not very long,” Piper said.
With time not on their side, firefighters must respond quickly in unfamiliar environments to locate and save victims and extinguish the fire as fast as possible. This training equips them with the skills to know what to do when they are unfamiliar with the layout, can’t see in smoke, and face the intense heat from the fire.
“It really gives our firefighters an opportunity to work together in this type of scenario, because the majority of our calls are accidents in EMS. So how often do we actually get to do this with all of our members – learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses and things to work on, so it gives us that ability to do that, too,” Malone added.
During the training exercise, the district was able to complete two burns for each company, rotating them over the three days to ensure service was still completely available for actual emergencies. One intern member was able to experience a structural fire for the first time. Interns have completed the fire academy and received all fire training, but are working on completing EMS certification.
Piper and Malone stated that when conducting training in a donated building, the size of the structure and whether the training is done internally or in coordination with other departments determine the number of personnel who can participate.
Although nothing can truly replicate the conditions firefighters face during a structural fire, a donated building comes closest to replicating those conditions.
“We’re super fortunate because there’s a lot of places that don’t get the opportunity to do that. Burning an actual structure is different for us than burning a tower,” Piper explained.
Conducting live fire training offers the district unmatched realism. While training towers are an asset, over time, firefighters could learn the layout of the training tower, and the conditions of a metal burn tower simply aren’t the same as what firefighters might experience in a structural fire.
“The way a fire behaves in a building compared to a container can be significantly different,” Malone said. “It’s not 100 percent like an everyday fire, but it’s as close as we can get.”
While it may seem simple to set a donated structure on fire, a significant amount of preparation must be done during a live fire training exercise to ensure everyone’s safety. The fire district must follow the National Fire Prevention Association’s 1403 code, which sets the minimum standards for conducting live fire training.
For example, all furniture must be removed, as it can create unnecessarily dangerous conditions. To create realistic conditions, they burn straw and pallets inside.
“It’s still a live fire; it’s still dangerous. You can still get hurt and injured. By only burning Class A materials, in this case, pallets and straw, it provides at least control of the fire load as much as we can control it,” Piper said.
Additionally, before the training, the property owner must obtain a demolition permit, and all checks with the historical society and EPA must be conducted prior to the training. Malone said a donated building has to be in a safe enough condition to conduct the training; if it’s already falling down, it wouldn’t be suitable.
Piper added some buildings can be used for training, like the two homes near Station 81 in Manhattan, but are not suitable to be burned due to their proximity to other homes, for example.
Due to the heatwave, which brought temperatures well into the 90s, the training sessions were conducted in the mornings before the final day’s training, which culminated in allowing the building to burn to the ground, a benefit for the property owner, as they didn’t have to dispose of as much debris had the house simply been knocked down.
The fire district routinely conducts various types of training exercises to ensure it is prepared in the event of an emergency, which is partly due to the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal’s requirement for recertification training. Piper reported at the last board meeting that the district logged 1,800 hours of training in June alone. Part of the profession is continually training.
Malone explained that, on average, the district will have some years when they will have a couple donated, others none, but on average, they can conduct a live fire training once per year. Both Malone and Piper expressed gratitude for having buildings donated, as they recognize the importance of the training.
“Hopefully, everybody gets a little bit better, and we don’t need to do this for real,” Piper said.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.