An early Saturday morning training took Christiana volunteer’s to West Chester this morning for a live burn training at the West Chester Fire Company Training Facility. Crews gathered and left station 52 at 0715am with 20+ active members for a day of live fire training. Crews arrived shortly before 0800hrs beginning evolutions right away. The first training evolution involved fire growth and recognition. Members were divided into 3-man crews for entry and a RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) as a backup in case something would happen.

Evolution 1 involved a mock single story facility with unknown fire location. Crews made entry stretching down a hallway, checking for victims as they proceeded to the fire room in the C/D corner for a quick “knock down”.

Evolution 2 involved a reported basement fire with crews advancing down a staircase into the fire room. This basement evolution was chosen next as the high heat levels were still present for the crews to negotiate their way down into.

Next task...lunch. Crews broke for lunch around 1100hrs keeping an eye to the sky. Crews battled light rain since mid-morning trying to get thru as much training as possible before the afternoon heavy rains set in.

With lunch completed, evolution 3 found two-person crews advancing into a two story commercial structure, stretching a charged line up the steps and down a long hallway to the fire room. Along with the extra work of dragging the charged line up the steps, additional heat was added by lighting off a second burn in the opposite end of the building.

Crews cleaned up the burned material at the facility before heading home around 1300hrs.

Thanks to Gordonville Fire Company for covering our station while we were out and to West Chester Fire for the use of your facility.