HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1984-04-18, Page 17Oi
SECOND
SECTION
Huron
Serving the communities and areas of
Brussels, Dublin, Hensel) and Walton
Ami.,
SEAFORTH, • NTARIO, WEDNESDAY, APRIL, 18, 1894 — 8 PAGES B1-68
THE FIREFIGHTER looking after the firefighter who stays with the victim (not
compressor for the heavy hydraulic extrica- shown).
tion equipment follows orders from the
TO FREE accident victims trapped inside a
oar, firefighters must sometimes lift off the
roof after cutting the door poste with the
extrication equipment. ,
-
USING A come -a -long tool, two firefighters pry open the door of a "rust bucket". .
Fi re .school
By ripping apart cars with extrcatiop
equipment, lighting and putting out small
fires, loading fie hose onto ,a truck and
sometimes sitting in a clssroom, 49
firefighters from Huron and Perth counties
learned how to become better firefighters
during the week long regional fire training
school in Seaforth last week.
"It's tough to keep up to the ever-chang-
ing technology and the new techniques.
Advisors from the Ontario Fire Marshall's
office can't get to everyone since there are
25,000 firefighters in Ontario so the theme is
teach the teachers. The firefighters who take
this school should pass on their knowledge to
their fire departments," says Gerry Sun -
strum, host advisor of the school.
Fire schools are held once each three
years in each county - the last one in Huron
was held in Clinton in 1981.
Firefighters were divided Into four courses
where they learned about officer training,
basic fire suppression, pumper operations
and auto extrication.
For those"In command, the officer training
course concentrated .on command proced-
ures, tactics and strategies in fighting fires
and the transportation of dangerous mater-
ial_
'Every day, a truck goes through any
town carrying dangerous material. It could
be an agricultural, industrial or gas truck
carrying anything from compressed liquids
to poisons or acids. A firefighter has to know
how to identify the material and know how to
deal with it,' says Mr. Sunstrum.
In the basic fire suppression course, the
firefighters -learn how to raise ladders
properly, care for and Igad hose; operate
portable fire extinguishers and ventilate a
fire properly.
"They learn how to remove hot smoke and
gases and introduce fresh air into a fire. If
you do it the wrong way, the place goes
boom. The public may not realize it, but
there's a reason for putting a hole in the roof
of a building," says Mr. Sunstrum.
A student of the fire suppression course
and a Seaforth firefighter, Ralph Wood says
he learned how to size up the situation at a
fire. "It was an excellent course. I learned a
lot of things."
MORE CONFIDENT
A member of the Seaforth Fire Depart-
ment for eight years, Rene Dupuis says the
fire suppression course will make him more
confident at future fires. "I didn't know 80
per cent of the information taught at the
course. One thing was,tying the ladder and
tying yourself on the ladder when you limb
it. It's a useftil thing to kndw."
Understanding the hydraulic formula
necessary to get the necessary water
pressure out of a hose was one of the things
taught In the pumper operations course.
Firefighters also learned how to operate the
pumper truck and what kind of water stream
to use in different situations.
"1 knew nothing about pumpers before
the school but now I've had a solid week of
learning about pumps. I've got to keep
is, .hot....stuff
practicing to keep that knowledge and to get
familiar with our own trucks," says five-year
Seaforth firefighter Dave Devries. "I can
practice on my own behind the hall and take
the pumper to the fire if I'm the first man
there now,"
After spending three days In the class-
room, firefighters spent two days practicing
pumping techniques. One exercise involved
two firefighters running the trucks while the
test of the class tried to confuse the two men
the two must adjust the dials according to
the situation.
The most physically demanding course is
auto extrication. In this course, firefighters
learn how to free accident victims from their
vehicles. On Thursday afternoon, an acci-
dent was simulated with victims, the fire
department, and the ambulance, to give a
better understanding of everyone's role and
responsibility in a situation,
When a driver is trapped behind the
steering wheel, a firefighter first reassures
the victim and assesses his injuries. Then,
he positions himsejf between the metal and
the victim before the others begin to use the
eAtrication equipment. The firefighter who is
with the victim will give the orders to the
men using the equipment so that the victim
is not harmed further while the firefighters
are trying to get him out.
While using the equipment, firefighters
have to watch for cars with a spring-loaded
tailgate. Such a tailgate could Injure if
caution is not used. When using the "Jaws
of Life" which weighs 78 pounds with the
hose or couplings, the firefighter must be
careful to keep it away from the hipbone
since It could break the hip if it kicks back.
SAFETY, NOT SPEED
"The equipment is very heavy and after
using it for awhile,ou know you've been
working," says Mr. Sunstrum. "We're most
interested in the safety of the victim and the
guys Instead of speed."
A firefighter in Seaforth for 16 years,
Peter Kling says he'd like to see the fire
department and the ambulance working
together more after they got together to
simulate an accident last week.
"Because of the fire school, we'll probably
be doing a better Job fighting fires and
attaddng them more," he says.
The next step for the six Seaforth
firefighters who took part in the school is
relay the information back to the rest of the
department. "The knowledge you've gained
this week isn't any good unless you pass it
on," says instructor Ken Jones.
Story and photos by
Susan Hundertmark
BY LOOPING the hose and sitting on It,
firefighter Brian Martin of WIngham can
control the fire hose for tong periods of time.
AFTER SPENDING three days In the operations course got a chance to put theory Into action and work the pumper truck.
classroom, firefighters In the pumper
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