Try this drill...

We have several parks and schools in our district, and we started using the playground equipment as a training tool. The bigger the better.

We'll find a starting point and anchor about 200' of utility rope to it. Then we run the rope all throughout the equipment. Up a slide, down a slide, around objects and under them. This is only limited by your imagination and the size of the playground.

Try to find things that you can run the rope under that will require the member to don and doff their airpack. Also - alot of playgrounds have the little areas that are like some type of room or something with an opening that simulates a window. Run the rope through there.

Cover the masks of the members (use Glad "press-n-Seal" over the mask - it works the best) and send them through the playground, following the rope.

You'll be surprised that no matter how long they stand around and watch you string the rope through, they still get turned around or run into problems.

The other great thing is that when you go back another time to do it again, you run the rope through a different way and it's an entirely different drill.

I'll caution you on one thing though - We ran one that had about a 4' drop on it. It's not a long fall, and the members liked it because it really tested them, but you don't want anyone to get hurt so if you encounter something like this use a spotter or two.

Give it a try. It's easy and it works.

Have fun with it, and Stay Safe Brothers and Sisters.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on October 1, 2008 at 5:28pm

We carry three bags of 150' utility rope. To make a maze longer, we'll just mate the ropes together and continue on (i.e. a couple of figure 8's and a carabiner).

Just use your imagination. Another thing you can do if you don't have enough rope is to make the members exit when their low air alarms sound. You can almost double your rope length by doing that.

Permalink Reply by Christian on October 2, 2008 at 8:39am

I like that exit idea. We had the guys crawl under the playground equipment, then where the rop ended I had them climb on to the equipment and go through the maze. It takes a couple of spotters to watch the area so they don't crawl off (which if they check the floor, they won't - but safety first). I also used the new traffic wands we got. They flash either red or blue to simulate flames and electrical arching. That worked out well once I told the first guy who crawled into an open flame that he was dead. After that guys started using their heads more.

Sometimes with this type of drill, I have found that the guys will over think because they know they are not in a building, other times they under think for the same reason. The officer really has to be right there and tell them what they are feeling, what the situation is at each point other wise they just go in and out and don't accomplish much.

Permalink Reply by Stephen Russell on January 6, 2009 at 3:04pm

Was this on youtube at one point ? I can't find it anymore. Please Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on January 7, 2009 at 8:26am

Stephen;

I don't remember putting it on YouTube, however, there is a video of this drill on my profile.

Train Hard, Stay Safe.

Permalink Reply by Charles Lawrence on January 7, 2009 at 11:19pm

Excellent idea, I like this drill. None in our territory, but I will be checking around.

Permalink Reply by WHM61 on January 15, 2009 at 10:29am

Thanks for the suggestion Eng 32 Capt., I am going to try this drill out on my members in the next couple months when this Brrr cold weather gives us a chance...

I think I know of a couple of places within my area we can do this and get people all twisted up a little...

Again thanks and I look forward to trying it out.

Bill

Permalink Reply by Patrick King on January 16, 2009 at 7:40pm

I can not wait to try this drill in the summer.Thank you

Permalink Reply by Thomas Cerbarano on January 17, 2009 at 6:17pm

I can not agree with you more on this, as I have used a local playground to train with . We used the picnic tables to run the ropes thru, under one, and actually thru the seats of the other. Talk about a tight place, the crews loved it. We will be using this type of drill over and over as it is a good way to test the patience and ability of the crew to figure out what to do when faced with obstacles of this nature.

Permalink Reply by Bill Wright on February 2, 2009 at 1:18pm