Fire Facility Tour Report - Essay Example

They have an engine truck that they use as a backup when necessary. On each of their trucks are printed, “Dedicated. Professional. Quality. Care. Service.”, which is their theme. In order to properly use this equipment, as well as the self-contained breathing apparatuses, hoses and rescue operations, the fire fighters here undergo a minimum of two years of training. Along with the basic training that they receive, they also undergo aircraft accident response procedures, despite the fact that this fire station is not a first responder to such incidents.

However, in the event that an air accident occurs within their jurisdiction, they require training for such responses in their area. Therefore, they have been trained in aircraft accidents, understanding that fires occur in the engines, cabins, wheel well and fuel tanks. They have to understand for their own safety how each material that is used in the building of any aircraft will act in the event of a fire, in order to properly evaluate their safety and how to douse the fire quickly and safely.

In the last two years, they have responded to two aircraft accidents, which were used as training exercises for the team. They used a single engine Cessna for the training exercise in which the plane was crashed into the ground. There were no injuries, as this was a training exercise that was staged and used only highly trained professionals. This accident happened in a large field about 10 miles from the station. The response time for this fire station to the scene was 20 minutes. It is this type of staged accident that puts the fire fighters’ training to the test.

They were sent to the scene of the aircraft accident with three engine trucks, using one from an adjacent fire station, one ladder truck, two rescue ambulances from another jurisdiction and one Battalion Chief. Upon arrival, the men were already in full fire fighting gear. They jumped out of their trucks, grabbed their hoses and ran to the scene of the accident with no hesitation. The fire fighters took a very quick account of the wind direction, where the fire was emanating from within seconds and went to work.

The fire was doused within minutes, using a structural fire fighting foam product mixed with the water. This required an exceptional amount of teamwork, coordination and trust in one another. They use this training in the event that the local airport notifies their respective communications center that additional assistance is needed, thus dispatching the Osceola County Fire Department for help. Although there are no mutual aid agreements in place, the Osceola County Fire Department is always ready and willing to be dispatched at any time.

They run three eight-hour shifts, with five separate crews on each shift. This allows them to be well manned and ready to respond to any fire, at any time. Touring Lieutenant Huskket’s fire station was not only interesting and educational, but fun as well. It allowed me to learn more about the inner workings of a fire department and what exactly the fire fighters have to endure in training as well as reality. I not only learned about the techniques and tenacity of these brave men, but found a new respect for them and their character as