Live-Fire Drills — With a Twist

It's important for training officers to challenge firefighters with interesting scenarios that address decision-making skills.

The Vacation Drill

This scenario can be created using either a 1- or 2-story occupancy to represent a single-family dwelling. Prepare the burn building by placing two adult mannequins inside, several feet from the back door. Place four or five newspapers outside the front entrance as if delivered from the newspaper carrier.

Dispatch the alarm as a house fire at 5:30 a.m. Upon arrival of the first company, have a “neighbor” role-player casually report that no one is inside: “Bill and Mary are going to be sick when they find out their house burned. But at least they are safe — they are out of town on vacation.”

The training officer should note the response of the first-arriving officer to this information. Does the fire officer alter the strategy from offensive to defensive? Are crews still assigned primary search?

During the critique following the drill, have the first-arriving officer repeat the information given by the neighbor and explain the choice of assignments to the crews. Ask the inside crews if their search efforts were altered because of the information about the vacationing residents.

When crews question the presence of victims, respond: “They were neighbors who didn't know Bill and Mary were on vacation. They entered the structure through the rear door, calling out to Bill and Mary in an effort to rouse them. They were overcome with smoke.”

The Second-in Drill

This scenario challenges the decision-making skills of the fire officer and crew on the second-arriving unit to a confirmed structure fire. Stage an engine with a charged attack line deployed into the structure. Equip two or three training mannequins with full PPE, SCBA and activated PASS devices. Position them near the nozzle deep into the structure. Dress another mannequin as the driver/operator of the engine and place “him” just inside the door of entry as if following the hose line to the crew. Fill the structure with smoke, and conduct a series of radio communications between members of the first-arriving crew.

The intent is to give the impression that the first-arriving crew has entered the structure on fast attack, become disoriented, reported a mayday situation and lost all radio communications. After repeated, unanswered radio calls from the driver to the interior crew, the driver's last statement to dispatch is that he is going in to help. The arrival of the second-in crew should be significantly delayed, allowing them to hear the radio communications between the driver and the first-in crew members. The scenario is intended to heighten emotions and emphasize the importance of safety and communications when responding to a mayday.

The Sprinkler Drill

In a burn building with a sprinkler system, stack several cardboard boxes and other containers away from the fire but exposed to run-off from the automatic sprinkler system. Label the containers using Department of Transportation labels for “Dangerous When Wet.”

Using ordinary combustibles such as hay, create a small fire under a sprinkler head. Activate the system and allow a single head to confine the fire.

The intent is to challenge the decision-making skills of the fire officer and crew members to recognize the secondary hazard of excess water flow. They also need to stop the flow of water and divert any runoff away from the undamaged but potentially dangerous cartons.

Added Realism

Help make live-fire scenarios more realistic by adding a few props outside the burn building, such as:

• Toys, tricycles and skateboards to signify that children of varying ages live in the occupancy.
• “For Sale” sign and old newspapers, indicating no one is in the building.
• Inexpensive banner over the door with a business name such as “Mike's Pizza,” “Paul's Pool Supply” or “Story Book Day Care Center.”

Inside the burn building, consider:

• Positioning a mannequin near a window with one hand visible from the exterior.
• Creating a trapped firefighter scenario by placing a mannequin dressed as a firefighter with full PPE, SCBA and activated PASS device under construction debris such as sheetrock, electrical wire, flexible duct and insulation.
• Placing non-combustible furniture in areas leading to the fire room, increasing the difficulty of hose advancement.
• Positioning a never-used gas can (free of flammable vapors) just inside the door of the building, signifying arson.

Use role players to enhance the emotions of the participants in live-fire drills, such as:

• A woman frantically pacing outside the burn building, begging the first-arriving crews to rescue her trapped children.
• A burn victim in shock laying in the front yard of the structure.
• A non-English-speaking occupant outside the building attempting to aid and direct firefighters inside the burn building.
• A disgruntled business owner insisting that the sprinkler system must be stopped to prevent excessive water damage.