By Corey Kneedler
Coffeyville Journal – September 25, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – October 16, 2013
Students of Coffeyville Community College’s Firefighter Tactics and Strategy and Fire Origin and Calls classes were able to put their skills to the test on Saturday morning at 501 W. 1st Street, the site of a controlled house fire conducted by the Coffeyville Fire Department.
The training exercise was a chance for students of CCC’s Firefighter 1 class to put on firefighter gear and go into a real-world house fire scenario.
The house, which has been abandoned for several years, was the ideal setting for the fire, which was started and controlled by the fire department.
Inside the house, furniture was placed, along with a big-screen TV and some other items to truly simulate what would happen to such items in an actual fire.
Once the fire started, the firefighters had very little time to run in and contain the fire. The magnitude of the flames had risen to dangerous levels within a few short minutes. With the careful instruction of Coffeyville Fire Chief James Grimmett and Lieutenant Pete Caresio, the students were able to put out the blaze quickly and efficiently.
Once the fire was put out, students, along with Coffeyville firefighters went back into the building to assess the damage and determine what the source of the fire was.
Using high-tech equipment and deductive reasoning; the students were able to determine that the fire would have been caused intentionally, and could pinpoint the exact location that the flames started.
The guys that fight fires, they know that “After a fire has occurred, a fire investigator is going to come in and assess the situation, so the firefighters want to make sure they do the least amount of damage to the area that’s on fire to make it easier for the investigator to come in and analyze the situation,” said Caresio.
Caresio said it’s important to the firefighters to save as much property as possible in a burning home while putting a fire out, but the safety of those living in the house always comes first.
Larry Benning, who went through the training exercise, is a boilermaker at Coffeyville Resources. He is also on the plant’s fire department.
“This experience has been great,” said Benning. “I have really learned a lot, and it’s been very informative.”
Four students participated in Saturday’s exercise. Joining them were two fairly new firefighters from the Coffeyville fire department who also gained some learning from the experience.
The simulated exercise created a scenario in which those participating would be the first fire truck on the scene.
“By being the first engine in, the guys will be able to make a decision on what tactic to use, whether it’s offensive, defensive, to make an entrance from the front or the rear of the building, and once the fire is extinguished, the fire origin and cause portion takes over to determine the point of origin,” said Chief Grimmett.
All of the participants have gone through the Firefighter 1 class, which is also offered at CCC.
Grimmett said he is hopeful that many more training exercises like this one will take place in the future, and will allow more hands-on training for those interested in going into a career in firefighting.
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