Firefighters train for real-life rescues inside abandoned Charlottetown home
‘It gives them that opportunity, in a safe way, to learn new tactics and new tricks’
This week, Charlottetown firefighters are getting hands-on training in a way that's much closer to real life than usual.
They're using an abandoned home that's scheduled to be demolished, at the corner of Richmond and Hensley Streets, to simulate what it's like to rescue someone from a burning building.
Platoon Chief Scott Ryan of the Charlottetown Fire Department said this kind of training is different from what firefighters typically do at the fire school. That is usually more predictable because the participants often know the exact layout of the building.
"In this house — just like in the real world when we go into somebody's house — it's our first time in that house, we don't know which way is up, which way is down, left, right," he told CBC's Island Morning.
"And it builds that confidence in ourselves that we can walk into a structure and we can get through it safely and find people that may be trapped inside."'
The training takes place over three nights. Two sessions have already been completed, with the final one scheduled for Thursday.
Learn in a safe environment
During the training, firefighters enter the house and perform search-and-rescue operations as if the structure were on fire.
They have to wear masks that limit their vision while navigating the house in a simulated smoky environment. A dummy has been placed in one of the rooms that they must find and drag to safety.
"It gives them that opportunity… in a safe way, to learn new tactics and new tricks, to make their way through a house — and as well, to make their way out of the house if things go south," Ryan said.
Due to the limited visibility, the firefighters must rely on touch and sound to detect danger spots and find their way, Ryan said.
"The value with this training, with blacking them out or blinding them out, is that it forces them to use all their other senses."
Preparing for the worst
One of the most important exercises took place on the second night: the "mayday" drill.
"Mayday is when things are at their worst — either the firefighter is lost, disoriented, they're running out of air and they don't believe they can get out, or they've fallen through a floor and they've hurt themselves and can't get out," he said.
Only Ryan and one other firefighter knew it would take place. The rest of the team had to quickly adapt, as they would in real-life situations when a firefighter calls for help without any warning.
"There's no planning for it. We can, as officers, be prepared for it. We can have tools set up at the door ready to go in if it happens, but we have no idea when it's going to happen," Ryan said.
Ryan said feedback so far from both new recruits and seasoned firefighters has been positive. Even experienced members told him they learned new things.
Once the final session is complete, there will be a debrief to review what worked, what didn't, and how future training can be improved.
With files from Island Morning