|
Ken
Ebelherr, fire chief, said that the training is ongoing and routine
programs are provided by department employees for others on the
Lincoln squad.
"The
facilities in the garage are also utilized by other fire personnel
that work at fire stations in other Logan County towns," he said.
The
department also uses a number of videotapes and related written
material. A hazardous materials class is conducted yearly to refresh
techniques. Updates related to the dealing with hazardous spills are
done routinely.
Ebelherr
said that one current project is training employees to use a computer
system that is tied into the University of Illinois's fire training
database.
"We
are going to utilize the computer lab at Heartland College so that
more employees can be trained in these programs," he added.
"The
training conducted in the city garage is twofold," according to
Don Fulk, assistant chief on C-shift.
"The
portion that contains the partial structure is used to train the men
on how to extricate other firefighters from a burning structure,
should that become necessary.
"The
interior of the building is blanketed with smoke from a smoke machine
in order to duplicate conditions that would be present," he
added.
The
other side of the garage also duplicates rooms that may be found in
residences. The rooms are periodically rearranged so that the
conditions vary each time a session is conducted.
Fulk
said that mannequins also are used to place in various parts of the
house in order to typify a residential fire.
(To top of second
column)
|
The
training not only keeps the firefighters current and prepared,
Ebelherr said, but it also helps with the rating the city receives
from the Insurance Service Organization.
"Various
factors that relate to a fire department's ability to respond to a
fire, such as water supply, number of personnel, communications with
the 911 system and training programs, all are graded to determine each
particular fire department's probability to effectively fight a
fire," he said.
Lincoln's
rating is one of the highest that can be attained.
Ebelherr
said that another program that will become more visible is called the
704 program.
"The
project places colored symbols on the outside of businesses that
contain flammable or toxic chemicals," he said. "If a fire
should occur, firefighters would know when they arrived what type of
fire they would have to fight, according to the rating symbol placed
at the business," Ebelherr added.
Not
only is mental agility required in order to fight fires, but physical
ability is necessary in order to tolerate the demands of such a
profession. Tucked away in a small room in the basement of city hall
are various pieces of exercise equipment that are at the disposal of
the employees.
The
21 men on the three shifts, plus the chief, comprise the city's
department. Although training is routine, each fire can be different.
Fire inspections are made in various businesses, places of employment
and public places.
"The
purpose of these inspections," according to Ebelherr, "is
twofold. One, we want to help prevent situations that could create
fires, and secondly, it keeps our personnel current on any changes
that have been made that could affect the department's response to a
fire," he said.
Training,
whether it is within the department or other departments or in the
community with the "Safe House," provides not only the
citizens of Lincoln but those in Logan County as well, with personnel
ready to respond and a system that complies with the most up-to-date
techniques.
[Fuzz
Werth]
|
