| On Saturday March 27th, 2010, the St. Stephens Fire Department conducted a live structure burn. This house is owned by the fire department and had to be removed for the upcoming addition and renovation to our Station 2. Today, live structure burns are becoming less frequent due to enviornmental restrictions and the lack of aquired structures. By burning the house, the department was able to save money on the demolition and utilize the house as an excellent source of training. One of the main focuses during our training was the familirization of our newly purchased apparatus. This apparatus is equiped with a (CAFS) compressed air foam system. This system allows us not only to use water to put out a fire, but also air and foam. This system mixes a combination of air, water, and class A foam to create a mixture of all these components and reduces knock down times and cools combustible materials better than water alone. These mixtures can be adjusted to create a foam that is very runny or a foam that is as thick as shaving cream. The consistancy of the foam will vary depending on the type of fire that is encountered. This technology is new to the area, but has been used out west for many years. Not only does it put out fires better, but the hose lines are half as light as conventional hose lines with water. This reduces firefighter fatigue and allows them to spend more time searching a structure instead of pulling heavy hose lines. The St. Stephens Fire Department constantly strives to keep up with the most technological advances in fire suppression. It is our goal to use every training aid and opputunity that comes our way to make us better at our jobs and better prepared to serve our community. |
