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Happy Canyon resident learns the fire ropes

    

Dave Bauer practices his technique at CPR.

by Elizabeth Wood West with photos courtesy of SMFRA

South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (SMFRA) held its citizen academy this spring for residents, providing them with an overview of emergency services and hands-on experience with firefighting, CPR, and other safety measures. SMFRA’s Training Bureau conducted the eight-week sessions, which included how accident victims are extricated from an automobile, how fire sprinkler systems work, why firefighters cut holes in the roof of a burning building, and experiencing a real live fire.

One academy participant, Happy Canyon resident and retired aerospace engineer Dave Bauer, jumped at the chance to attend because of his community’s vulnerability to wildfires and its working relationship with SMFRA on wildfire mitigation efforts. “I hadn’t thought much about the actual structure and operation of a fire department until starting the citizen academy classes,” he said. “I was very pleased to learn how technologically advanced the fire equipment and operations are.”

The first session included an explanation of the criteria used to rate all fire departments on their response times to 911 calls. SMFRA averages 34 seconds for a 911 call, ranking them near the top in the nation.

For Bauer, the most interesting experience for him was the “burning room.” Outfitted head to toe in 40 pounds of firefighter gear – including an oxygen bottle, Bauer and other participants kneeled at the back of a room that was smaller than a double garage. A fire was started with wood scraps at the front of the room. As the fire grew, a firefighter described the fire’s behavior. Participants had been told they could leave the demonstration at any time, but all stayed to observe the “rollover effect” of the fire.

At first, flames went straight up toward the ceiling and progressed along the ceiling to the back of the room where the participants were; the flames were no longer being fueled by the original wood scraps but by combustible gases created by the fire. As the flames began to creep down the back wall creating the “rollover effect,” Bauer and the others were told to leave the room, which was about 1000 degrees F. Bauer explained, “The roll-over effect is especially dangerous because if the flames complete the circle, the engulfed combustible gases can explode.  This is how firefighters can be lost,” he said.

“I found the citizen academy to be very interesting and an exceptional experience.  I highly recommend it to every citizen,” said Bauer.

For further information about SMFRA or to get information about upoming citizen’s academy dates, visit www.southmetro.org.

Citizen Academy participant Dave Bauer suits up for the“burning room.”

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