Fort Knox, volunteer firefighters partner to learn new ways to fight fire

By G. Anthonie Riis |Fort Knox NewsOctober 16, 2018

Fort Knox, volunteer firefighters partner to learn new ways to fight fire
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Scott Goss explains how to use a "fire blanket" during fire salvage and overhaul exercise. Given the opportunity, firefighters may be able to keep items in the house from catching fire using the blanket, keeping firefighters safer and perhaps s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox, volunteer firefighters partner to learn new ways to fight fire
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Firefighter Mitch Hunger, a volunteer trainer from the Chicago Fire Department demonstrates the use of the Fire Maul on a training roof prop. The Fire Maul is designed to more easily vent roof tops allowing both smoke and heat to escape a burning str... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox, volunteer firefighters partner to learn new ways to fight fire
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Valley Creek Fire Department's Junior Firefighters suit up to conduct firefighter training. While they are still too young to fight fires with the department, they are able to conduct training which will be used to credential them as firefighters on ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Knox, volunteer firefighters partner to learn new ways to fight fire
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt Scott Goss uses the "Max Box" to create situations and conditions to show firefighters what to watch for, how it could affect them and how to respond to warning signs. Using this training prop, Goss is able to produce conditions and warning sign... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Firefighter rescue
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – John Voccio, a volunteer firefighter with Highview Fire Protection District "rescues" Amanda Cessna, a volunteer with Anchorage-Middletown Fire Department. Voccio aids Cessna whose rope is stuck making it so she can neither ascend or descend the rope... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT KNOX, Kentucky -- More than 80 firefighters from 18 local counties attended the 2nd Annual Hardin County Fire Chief's Fire School, a two-day firefighter training held at multiple training sites on Fort Knox Oct. 14-15.

"We hold the training here because we have so many resources -- just outstanding resources. Fort Knox's Classrooms, hands-on props and Connex villages where we can do the truck ops class. No one else around has anything like it," said Lt. Dave Black, Fort Knox firefighter and training facilitator. "Everything was donated -- the food, the drinks, the wood to burn -- we didn't charge anybody a penny. It was all free training."

Black said new training is necessary because building materials aren't what they used to be.

"Houses are burning [many times] faster than before," he said. "Not only the building materials, but the things we put in our houses isn't legacy stuff made out of wood. Now we are building with and [furnishing with] petroleum products that are glued together. It burns much faster and hotter than it used to.

"That's why when you do see a fire, you see such dark smoke. That's all the unburned particles. Even the smoke is more flammable than it used to be."

During the course, students had the opportunity to experience flammable smoke and other dangerous fire anomalies first hand.

The trainers do this using a 'Max Box,' a metal box furnished with different household materials inside like wood and carpet. A miniature firefighter in the box references how a fire might affect an actual firefighter under the same conditions. Situations and conditions are then created to show firefighters what to watch for, how it could affect them and how to respond.

"We can show firefighters the dangers of situations like: flashover, smoke explosion and backdraft -- without putting people in a bad spot or burning their gear up trying to show them," Black said. "That's why we do this training. So firefighters know what to look for and they see the warning signs and they know not to put themselves in that situation or when to open the nozzle sooner to cool the environment down so a flare up doesn't happen."

Valley Creek Fire Department Deputy Chief Joey Steel said the training is invaluable to most of the departments who don't have academy-trained firefighters.

"There are only three paid departments in Hardin County. Every other of the 15 departments is volunteer," Steel said. "This training is so important to our communities because firefighters go to everything. We go to fires, but we also go to car accidents and medical assists. We do it all."

Steel said he believes firefighting is a family affair, and many of the firefighters coming into the ranks are second or third generation.

"Some of these volunteers are family members of other volunteers. Some of them are 15 or 16 years-old, and this gets their foot in the door. As Junior Firefighters, they can't go into burning buildings yet, but they can train with us.

"The day they turn 18, their hours turn over and they're certified [firefighters]. That looks good [if they want] to go to a paid department."

Black said the training isn't one-sided, but that there is a mutual benefit to Fort Knox firefighters as well.

"It's an absolute help to us. It makes us better," Black said. "Teaching other people, meeting other people. If we don't know these people, don't ever work with them and we don't know what each other can do, then we could be strangers on the worst day of someone's life. We need to train together to better work together. It helps the community, but I think it helps us just as much.

"We have some well-qualified people here who are really good at what they do. Too often that knowledge stays in this little bubble at Fort Knox," Black said. We're just trying to get some of that out to them."