USAG Yongsan -- The fire department at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan received a phone call about a fire on the eighth floor of the Dragon Hill Lodge. Within minutes, a rescue truck, a pumper truck and two command trucks arrived on scene with 14 firefighters. This was just the beginning of their fire drill held Dec. 17.
The firefighters run on a seven minute aggregate response time. When the fire department receives a phone call informing them of a fire emergency, the receiver has one minute to gather information and relay the news to the firefighters. The firefighters then have another minute to be in gear and inside the trucks ready to leave the station. Within five minutes, the crew should arrive at the scene of the emergency. Because fire doubles its size every 30 seconds, it is vital for the firefighters to arrive as fast as they can.
Each firefighter had a specific role to play during the exercise: the rescue team swept the primary floor and the fire floor to check for any trapped individuals, the pumper team readied the hose with water, and firefighters went around to different sections of the DHL to observe the process and give feedback for improvement.
Timothy Johnson, the assistant chief at USAG Yongsan fire department, described the DHL exercise as "high-rise firefighting."
"The high-rise firefighting is a very difficult exercise," said Johnson. "It is important for the DHL employees to learn and follow through with their procedures, but it is also important for the firefighters to practice high-rise firefighting because the experience is rare."
According to Johnson, the exercise has two purposes: one is the internal drill for the Dragon Hill Lodge personnel, and the other is for the firefighters to build "muscle memory" through continuous practice.
Johnson said there are multiple ways for households on the garrison to prevent possible fire emergencies from happening.
"In the winter months, especially during holiday seasons, people have the tendency to stay inside … the longer they stay the more electrical appliances they will use," said Johnson. "Heaters dry out air and other materials in the house which makes fire easy to spread. Power cords and extension cords used inside the house should be checked before buying to ensure it has been thoroughly tested and announced safe.
"Households that use ondol heating, a traditional Korean heating system, should have carbon monoxide detectors," he said. "Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless killer and should be checked for in housing that uses ondol heating."
For more tips on how to keep you and your loved ones safe, please visit the National Fire Protection Association website at: http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/
Related Links:
U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan Homepage
Social Sharing