“Engine 2 is on the scene … 2-story frame, heavy smoke on second floor … we're leading out.” It's 22:00 hours and the members of Engine 2 and Medic 2 are preparing for their next evolution at the training facility while most of the city's residents are sitting down for their favorite TV show.

From early morning to late evening, in cold weather and warm, fire department members hone their skills in the various duties that they may be called on to perform. A training facility doesn't have to be huge and fancy with all the latest gadgets and props, although those can help to deliver effective programs. What it does need to be is accessible. The facility has to be available for your members, and it has to be used as if you're trying to wear it out.

The modern fire service's increased response to technical and water rescues, hazmat incidents, and EMS calls have challenged budgets, increased the demand on firefighters' time, and required myriad new skills and equipment. However, throughout these last decades of great change, one thing holds true: Our primary mission requires that our members be ready, prepared and capable of combating a hostile fire.

Training facilities can be as diverse as the people in the fire service, yet their purpose is clear: to provide an environment for personnel to learn, practice and develop the necessary skills and teamwork. In rural America these centers may be composed of Sealand containers positioned to help firefighters practice basic search-and-rescue procedures; in major cities, these may be huge facilities such as “The Rock” in New York City or the Robert J. Quinn Fire Academy in Chicago. Common throughout these effective training facilities is the ability to replicate the tasks and challenges facing the department.

In San Francisco, Capt. Dave Franklin and other members of the San Francisco Fire Department used existing structures at the Treasure Island Naval Facility and developed RIT/firefighter rescue props for the city's more than 1,400 firefighters. In Chicago, the training bureau built a structure within their training facility to do various RIT and firefighter scenarios.

Viva variety

In Naperville, Ill., the fire department built a training tower in 1989, which is composed of a 2-story burn building, a 5-story high-rise simulator, and a 1-story portion for storage and confined-space training. This facility is used for company-level training as well as recruit academies, live-fire training, special seminars and classes, mutual aid training, technical rescue training, hazmat training, and auto extrication. Additionally, the site has been used for Explorer training; Emergency Management Agency member training; and training for local, state and federal SWAT teams.

The 2-story burn section is built with “replaceable” block walls, and refractory concrete protects the structural members. This area of the facility has removable steel-framed walls with steel/drywall covering the studs. An interior forcible-entry door on the first floor provides members the ability to practice these skills under fire conditions, and a first floor “barred” window challenges the members to provide a secondary means of access. Steel rebar is placed in channels and can be quickly changed during or after a scenario. This window is also set up with an insert and hallway simulating the “Denver Drill” to practice firefighter rescue and removal.

Other features of this section include a cantilevered balcony, enclosed interior stairways, an exterior stairway and numerous windows. The roof of the section is made of concrete with two ventilation cut-outs for wooden drop-in props, as well as a spring-loaded smoke vent for emergency smoke removal. Protection rails are located at the gutters of each slope to provide an added margin of safety. Burn pans shield the concrete from direct flame impingement, allowing the fires to be placed in various locations throughout the rooms. A hallway connects the second floor of the burn area with the high-rise section of the facility.

The high-rise section consists of five floors off a central stairwell. The stairwell extends to the roof where “bomb-proof” anchors are in place for rope-rescue training. Removable rails on the roof allow members to rappel over a flat edge as well as over railings. The stairwell has a standpipe with 2H-inch connections on each floor, as well as a powered smoke-removal system. The building is concrete and steel and contains a partial sprinkler system for training in supply, control and head replacement.

Each floor of the “high-rise” is laid out differently with wood-frame walls and sheetrock; multiple window configurations; and two different balconies, one cantilever and one in-set. The high-rise section uses only smudge pots and theatrical smoke due to the lack of refractory cement coatings protecting structural members and Lexan windows. This section of the facility has a set of removable dummy power lines running into the building from an on-site electric pole to challenge companies in aerial and ground ladder work in and around overhead lines.

The 1-story portion of the facility is used to house training props. It's set up with a heater and lights for use as a “dirty” classroom and has both a round manhole and rectangular hatch on the flat roof for practicing below-grade and confined-space rescues. The flat roof and railings also allow this area to be used for laddering and victim-removal training.

The site is entirely covered in blacktop and concrete, which provides for easy cleanup as well as all-area access by fire apparatus. A 100-by-50-foot extrication pad allows enough room for a multi-vehicle accident to be staged and for apparatus to set up and operate. The site allows for 360° drive-around of the structure and can easily accommodate several engines and trucks. The main drill yard is approximately 150-foot-square and can be used for recruit fitness training, hose advancing and other sessions, including helicopter landings. The site's water is provided by three city hydrants, spaced in normal fashion, that can be blocked by staged cars for realism.

The facility is supported by a station that houses an engine company, medic unit and hazmat response unit. In the basement of the firehouse is a classroom and offices for use by the training bureau during recruit, company and officer development training. The firehouse also houses an air compressor used to fill SCBA cylinders after training and a hose tower for drying hose used at the training facility.

Training options

The training conducted at the facility is broken into several main areas. The first area of training is consistent with the state fire marshal's office Firefighter II and III curricula and is delivered monthly by the training bureau to each company member. This training is intended to provide basic skill delivery and refresher training allowing company officers to try new methods and practices specific to their response areas. Additionally, this area of training encompasses the great need for recruit-level training. The flexibility to deliver a complete training academy to new department members is of great benefit in cost control, time management and department-specific delivery of topics.

The second main category of training at the facility is live-fire training. This type of training often is coordinated and scheduled with mutual aid communities and encompasses multi-company evolutions and command function operations. Live-fire training is conducted in accordance with NFPA standards at both day and night sessions. The live-fire sessions use Class A materials such as hay and wooden pallets to produce desired heat and smoke conditions. The pallets are delivered to the site by local vendors and are usually donated. The hay and straw are most often purchased from farmers west of the city.

The training facility also is used by the department and regional special rescue/operations teams, which are exposed to basic skills reinforcement as well as advanced training for state and federal deployments. For example, rope-rescue and confined-space training can be done with very little setup time. In addition, the hazmat teams in the area use the facility to conduct seminars and training sessions with portable props housed at the facility. These props include leak and spill simulators either purchased outright or borrowed from industrial partners and university facilities. One key to the effectiveness of a training facility is developing professional relationships with the business community that can bring great resources and expertise.

Finally, the facility is used for multi-agency training. Opening up a facility to other agencies, such as emergency management, police and EMS, can maximize tax dollars and give all branches of public safety service the opportunity to train personnel. For example, law enforcement teams can practice searches of cars and buildings, including the use of K-9 units, while maintaining security of props and conditions. Federal teams can practice serving warrants to high-risk individuals and other law enforcement skills. SWAT teams can use the structure for simulated raids, including the use of crowd-control gases. Of course, the walls should be hosed down after this type of use. Experience has shown that the law enforcement gases and powders tend to linger in the building and can be an irritant to crews using the structure later.

Better burners

Discussions usually arise regarding the best type of training facility and the pros and cons of the type of burn materials to use. Natural gas, propane or Class A combustibles — which is the best?

While each has its benefits and constraints, the focus should be on developing a system that your department or region can afford while still delivering the required and necessary training for personnel. Class A combustibles are not as environmentally friendly as gas systems, but they offer a lower cost to install and operate as well as unlimited variations as to the location of the fires in the structure. The other issue when using Class A materials is the inability to regulate temperature precisely.

The gas systems answer some of the concern over environment effects and temperature regulation, but they can be more limited in the ability to move the location of the fire throughout the building. The other significant issue when considering a gas system is the cost of installation. These systems are technologically impressive but tend to be out of the reach of many departments. However, the cost of a system should not exclude it from consideration. Many of the companies offering these systems are flexible and can develop a system that grows as needs require and budgets allow.

So where do you go when considering a training facility for your city, town, region or state? You should visit as many facilities as possible and talk to those who actually use the site — the instructors, students and administrators. Talk to the facility managers regarding repairs and upkeep to the buildings and props; they can provide invaluable insight into design, layout, use and limits. A member of the Southern Kane County Training Association in North Aurora, Ill., traveled to various sites around the country before directing the planning of the association's regional facility. This type of research can be expensive, but so can building a facility that doesn't meet your needs.

The fire service has a wealth of experience to draw on for any project. For example, an established and reputable school can give great advice as well as technical direction from its experiences. Learning about the successes they have had with their programs as well as the stumbling blocks they have had to scale and overcome can cut down on your frustrations and failures. As a result, you'll be able to maximize dollars for the benefit of your firefighters, police and EMS personnel, and in turn for the citizens we are sworn to protect.

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Michael J. Veseling is the training bureau chief for the Naperville (Ill.) Fire Department.