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Burn Training Excercise

8/11/2009

MEDIA RELEASE
Benjamin Nichols
Fire Chief

Release: IMMEDIATE
Contact: Battalion Commander Ronald Lewis
Public Information Officer
Date: 08/11/09 Phone: (910) 433-1427

The Fayetteville Fire Department Training Division will hold a live burn training exercise for the 2009 Recruit Academy on Wednesday, Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A two-story, residential structure donated by Cape Fear Valley Hospital will be burned. The house is located at 3540 Village Drive. 

The controlled exercise exposes recruits to an actual firefighting experience and gives them a chance to put classroom lessons into practice. The live burn is the final part of a 15-week long academy. The entire class of 29 will participate.

“Allowing recruits the opportunity to enter a burning structure and extinguish a fire under controlled circumstances is the closest we can get to the actual firefighting conditions,” said Capt Richard Whiteside, training officer.

The live burn took several weeks to coordinate through the Division of Air Quality and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. To ensure the safety of all participants, three state-certified live burn instructors will be on hand to oversee the event, as well as five additional instructors.

This type of training is considered essential by the Fire Department to adequately prepare new recruits for typical fire ground operations they are likely to encounter on a real scene.

For more information, contact the Fayetteville Fire Department Training Division at (910) 433-1580