The photos below are reduced-size or cropped thumbnails. Click any photo to see the full-sized image.
Volunteer live fire training drill, 20 May 2003.
Using Northtree Fire International's portable live fire training trailer, the volunteers drill on interior fire attack. Here, the volunteers get a pre-event briefing.
Under the watchful eye of the Northtree controller, a variety of fire scenarios can be practiced. Also present are three safety officers watching outside, and two inside, one with a deadman switch (in doorway, upper right photo) that can stop the evolution instantly if necessary. A RIC (Rapid Intervention Crew) team is also on standby, just like at a non-training fire. In the bottom right photo, the safety officer with the deadman switch gives the go-ahead to the operator, as they preheat the interior for another attack. The entire training complex is controlled by the operator via his computer screen. To the operator's left are safety interlocks and a kill switch.
With flames showing, a team checks the door, then enters the building, staying low.
The controller, who's ghostly reflection can be seen in the glass, manipulates the fire as the firefighters attack it. He controls the fire's size and location, the amount of smoke, and can create a flashover to reenforce the need to stay low. Although the evolutions being shown here are not as smoky as a real fire (if they were, no photos could be taken), the propane-fueled fire is realistically hot.
During the evolutions, which go beyond sundown, firefighters can go through several bottles of air. Left: swapping out bottles. Right: RIC team on standby.
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