CapeCodFD.com
SANDWICH FIRE TRAINING
COUNTY BURN TRAILER
November 4, 2021
SANDWICH TRAINING
Members of the Sandwich Fire Department participated in a 4 day training
program the first week
of November 2021. The Barnstable County Burn Trailer was brought in with
instructors, and setup
behind the old Sandwich Police Station so that each group could use it on duty.
The steel trailer has interior partitions that can be
configured in almost countless ways.
An artificial smoke machine creates an environment that simulates the loss of
visibility in actual fires.
A propane fired burn room can bring interior temperatures up to about 350
degrees at floor level.
The trailer was purchased by the County and Mass Maritime Academy and can be
used to simulate
not only structural firefighting, but also ship board firefighting.
Departments, like Sandwich, can use the trailer for many different evolutions,
including
advancing hose lines, using SCBA, search and rescue, roof operations, cellar
fires,
feeding a standpipe, rope repelling, and more.
For many years, fire departments would go to the Barnstable County Fire Academy
in Barnstable. That facility was shut down a couple years ago, leaving
department with
out the "Burn building / smoke house" and other props used for about 60 years.
Loss of the Fire Academy clearly impacts training of firefighters across the
Cape.
This burn trailer however, seems to offer departments a number of advantages.
The time lost traveling to and from the fire academy for some departments can
be saved as the trailer can be set up in the local fire department's community.
Additionally, the trailer is easy to maintain and clear up after use, compared
to
the academy building in which wood or hay was used to create the heat and smoke.
Thanks to the instructors and Sandwich Fire Department for
showing off this
new training tool for all of Cape Cod.
CapeCodFD.com
2021