By Mike Courson
Ellinwood Leader – September 13, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – September 20, 2013
The Ellinwood fire department had a busy weekend—in a good way. Saturday and Sunday, the Kansas State Firefighters Association put on fire classes at Ellinwood High School. Approximately 40 firefighters from around the state attended the two-day class.
“We do 12 (schools)—one every month—somewhere in Kansas, said KSFFA President JL Ellis. “We put it up and the local fire departments request us. We provide all the tools, props, instructional materials, and instructors for the school free of charge from the department. We try to make it as no-cost as possible.”
The KSFFA came at the request of Ellinwood Fire Chief Chris Komarek. Though firefighters from around the state can attend any of the schools, the Ellinwood fire department benefitted greatly from having the school locally.
“It’s training that we normally can’t offer within our own department,” Komarek said. “They bring in instructors who are specifically trained in certain areas that, as a volunteer department, we just can’t do in-house. Plus they also have the equipment and props to do the training and do it in a safe manner. Safety is a huge thing within the fire service.”
Saturday, the school featured classes on wildland firefighting, firefighter safety and survival, rapid intervention, and pump operations. Outside the classroom, the firefighters practiced with 2,500 gallon portable tanks which were utilized in a barn fire last summer, and also practiced a search-and-rescue at an abandoned farm house.
“We try to concentrate on classes that we use on the majority of our calls,” said Komarek. “We try to concentrate our training on the skills that we use on most of our basic calls.”
Sunday classes included thermal imaging and fire rehab. Around noon on Sunday, with temperatures already climbing past 90 degrees, the firefighters trained in a burn trailer.
“Any time you can do a live burn the firefighters get a chance to experience temperatures upward of 1,000 degrees,” Komarek explained.
The trailer looked almost like a standard semi trailer, but inside hay and wooden pallets were set ablaze. With the doors on the trailer shut, firefighters had to content with authentic smoke and heat issues.
Komarek said the EFD sent invitations for the school to departments in five area counties. Ellis added that approximately 8,000 firefighters receive invitations for each school. The October school will be held in Kansas City, and the November school moves back west to Holcomb. Claflin expects to host a school in February.
Departments in attendance for Ellinwood school included Osborne, Larned, Hoisington, Pomona, Emporia, Holyrood, and Pratt.
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