ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Local firefighters ramp up training with live fire exercise
Saturday’s controlled burning of an Aberdeen Proving Ground building provided APG firemen a rare and realistic training opportunity.
“It allowed new firefighters to experience real world conditions in a very controlled and relatively safe setting,” said APG Fire Department Chief Ed Budnick of the June 25 exercise. “New personnel get the sense of what it will really be like when they are called on to perform these difficult tasks at a real fire.”
APG fighters joined forces with firefighters from seven departments in Harford County and two in Pennsylvania to conduct the day-long training along the installation’s boundary near Aberdeen Boulevard.
Training included search and rescue for victims, forcible entry, ventilation, firefighter rapid intervention, metal cutting and breeching techniques"training Budnick says is crucial for successful fire operations and for the safety and survival of firefighters.
The large-scale operation culminated with the controlled burn of Bldg. 3752, formerly the police training academy and Marylander Club. The live smoke and heat conditions that new firefighters experienced last week is hard to reproduce, said Budnick, even in firefighter training centers.
“It just doesn’t afford the same realism,” he said.
Although last week’s live fire exercise was a rare opportunity, training together was not.
Budnick said APG and area firefighters work together on a near daily basis to provide mutual support, learn the latest techniques and ensure a seamless transition during actual fire and rescue operations.
“Both we at APG and the Harford County volunteer companies are highly skilled and well equipped to handle emergencies,” he said, noting that many of the APG firefighters also volunteer at local fire departments.
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