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WEATHERSFIELD – Since last spring, firefighters from Mahoning and Trumbull counties have been taking part in fire training at a home in Weathersfield that was burned to the ground over the weekend.
McDonald fire Chief Fred Marcum said Sunday what made the training unique was it was a wood-framed geodesic house.
“This was the last training we had at this house. We have been here since last spring meeting on Monday evenings training and today we will have a live fire to burn it down,” Marcum said.
Marcum said there are five similar style houses in the county.
"We will run this like an actual fire. No one knows how the fire will behave. We will see if it collapses or just burns away. There are a lot of triangle and angle shapes in the house so we will see what happens because of that,” he said.
He said there are very few studies done on wood-frame geodesic houses, but firefighters were able to see through openings how the fire grew and how the air affected the fire.
Marcum said such training happens when a structure becomes available.
Marcum said the practice of putting out planned fires in a vacant house is important training because it allows the firefighters to identify different burn scenarios while searching in a smoky environment.
He said the training involves entering the home in three different groups and watching an instructor set a fire.
"We lit a couple fires inside the house, which gives the firefighters the opportunity to see how a fire is lit and how it grows and develops based on wind currents with multiple openings in the house,” Marcum said.
He said firefighters are required to have a certain number of continuing training hours per year.
The working simulation was what fire crews can expect when they're called out to an emergency. Marcum said live fire training is a critical component in making sure firefighters are prepared for anything, noting Sunday's training is important to keep crews alert and prepared.
The training helps firefighters practice essential skills such as fire suppression and search and rescue under realistic conditions.
"So anytime we can have fire, it's a great opportunity," Marcum said.
The three-story Geodesic-style house of 2,000-square-feet off Salt Springs Road was the property owner's parent's house that had water damage and was beyond repair.
He said the house was built in 1983, so there was no asbestos used in its construction.
John Garland, who is the owner of the house, was among the residents watching the burn.
He said his parents, Ray and Dorothy Garland, decided after 43 years it was time to have the house taken down.
"I reached out to the local fire departments to see if they would be interested in using it for a practice burn and then worked with them to through the needed process,” Garland said.
Marcum said when he spoke to the owner, he became very intrigued since the fire department does not get such homes very often.
"We wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity with a specially designed home and train our firefighters. This is an education for all of us to see what happens when there is a fire inside,” Marcum said.
Garland said the Geodesic style was common in the 1980s with similar style houses in Southington, Yankee Lake and Warren.
Marcum said the said few communities have a vacant house available for this type of hands-on training.
"An actual acquired structure is few and far between anymore," Marcum said.
Marcum said the site was used five times through the spring and summer for training,
Firefighters from Austintown, McDonald, Weathersfield, Kinsman, Fowler, Newton Falls and other communities took part in the several hour training.
Weathersfield fire Chief Tom Lambert said to get a house to train with a burn down, there is a lot of steps involved which is why such training is unique.
"It takes months to get the paperwork in order. You have to get in contact with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and have many steps taken care ahead of time before you can burn the house,” Lambert said.
Matt Byknish, a McDonald firefighter and volunteer with the Vienna Fire Department, said the training has been a learning experience for all the participants who gained skills in dealing with a house fire.
"This helps show what to expect in an octagon-shaped building. We don’t get opportunities for live burns like this. This is a rare experience,” Byknish said.
Todd Paulsey, a Weathersfield firefighter, said he wanted to see what is involved when dealing with a geodesic house.
"This training helps us be prepared for defensive training on a house fire and how to best handle battling the fire,” Paulsey said.
Marcum said those who took part included those with many years of experience and new firefighters, including some taking training at the Trumbull Career and Technical Center.
Owen Krouse, 17, of Weathersfield, said he is a student at TCTC and was glad to be part of the training.
"It's amazing to be involved with this. I don’t know where I'd rather be right now than being part of this,” he said.
"It is great to have the opportunity to be here and experience this training,” said Tyler Pringle, 16, of Girard.
Krouse and Pringle said the training they received on site and also at TCTC is preparing them to start their careers when they complete their training at age 18.
Marcum said many fire departments work together and provide support since many do not have enough staff to get to all calls on their own.
"Very few departments have enough staff to always handle the calls on their own so we call for mutual aid. We rely on other departments and their specialized skills and training to help us achieve the task,” Marcum said.