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Comment by lutan1 on March 4, 2009 at 1:06am

I think it needs to be balanced between real and simulations.

We also need to change the mindset about hot fire training in relation to the environmental aspects. The days of throwing down some fuel and letting it rip are gone. The same applies to foam- remember 3M and their walk away from the foam industry some time ago. Also read bac kthrough the Buncefield fire and subsquant reports- they were hammered over the environmental aspects of the fire fighting and foam application.

Our actions will leave a lasting effect for generations to come.

If we must do hot fire training, then it needs to be in a controlled environment that addresses all safety and environmental issues.

Comment by Jeremy on March 3, 2009 at 11:58pm

And also a few days before the live fires. I had a training with the same guys and just put some straw in a barrel and smoked the house. They said after the live fires that the straw was nothing like that. And how they truely felt better about see real fire in a training house before the seen it for real on their own. becuase one day this group may be my engine company and i want to be able to go in and put the fire out. Not make it half way and find myself, well by myself. so yes live burns are the only way to really train a probie. I was not that lucky. I was tossed in with some old guys who were freakin crazy.

Comment by Jeremy on March 3, 2009 at 11:52pm

well i believe that it is very important for real live fire training. Why because fire behaivor is not something that u can say hey look at this picture and thats what it's like. The same with how smoke banks down, and how u really cant see ur hand in front of ur face. I say all of this becuase just this last weekend i conducted a live fire training house. and the one thing that my the new guys said was WOW they dont teach u that in class. And wow thats crazy u truely cant see ur hand. And man u can really feel the heat. That to me is worth some smoke in the air. Becuase i dont like FF funerals and i dont want to second guess what i have done as far as training and say "man i wonder if i had live fires if they would have seen what the smoke looks before it flashes." That is my young 2 cents on this. Sry if that isnt what ur looking for. But i have always been told u play like u pratice. This goes the same for the fire ground too if u ask me.

Comment by Doug on March 3, 2009 at 6:43pm

Live fire training! Nothing, not even a state of the art burn house, comes close.

Comment by turk182 on March 3, 2009 at 3:27pm

Smoke machines are fine but I think live fire training is a necessity. Not only does it teach fire behavior but it also lets them feel how hot it gets and lets them get the feel for interior operations

I believe that we all should do live burns at least once a year at the minimum especially if your department does not get many call. This will let us keep our training fresh and help newer and older fire fighters learn to work together .