Page 12 - August Banner 2017_Neat

Page 12 August 2017 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper
Firefighters Hone Their Skills — Continued from page 1
considerations like hydrant access,
and utilizing and allowing full access
to areas of all buildings on campus. used Sheridan Hall as an example of
About twenty firefighters began
the training with a review of
the Mount’s buildings. VHC Lt.
Alex McKenna explained to the
group how to enter each building,
depending on where a fire might be
located. They also reviewed which
buildings had sprinkler systems and
standpipes.
“The most dangerous
building for us on campus
is the Terrace,” McKenna
said. “The biggest hazard
in there is really just the
confusion of where you
are.” This is because the
Terrace is made up of
different halls, running in
different directions.
The biggest point driven
home during the review was
that firefighters first need to
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scout out where a fire is located in a The two training exercises were
building before deploying hoses. He scenario-based. The first involved
entering the smoke-filled second floor
what could happen if the fire wasn’t of Sheridan Hall to find a student who
located first. “If you do it wrong, you was unconscious in a dorm room.
can go up 800 feet for a 200-foot The second exercise was a high-
stretch,” McKenna explained. rise hose deployment to the third
Green also told the group that floor of Pangborn Hall.
modernizing each building’s fire Utilizing mitigation evolutions
suppression system was a top priority like V.E.I.S. (Vent / Enter / Isolate
for the college administration. / Search) with a specific focus on
Rapid Intervention
Techniques and proper
utilization of existing
built-in building
protection systems,
emergency services
personnel practiced
operational exercises,
command and control,
occupant location
and removal, hose
deployment, ventilation,
and restoration of normal
building functionality.
On Saturday, July
8, 2017, members
of the Vigilant Hose
Company, Rocky
Ridge Volunteer
Fire Department,
Mount St. Mary’s
University Public
Safety personnel,
and facilities
management staff
gathered at the
college to review
how to fight fires
in campus facilities
and to train.
Photos by James Rada, Jr.
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