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Photo Album: Training
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Photo Album: Training
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Vehicle Rescue | Patient
Packaging | Ice Rescue
EVOC
| Water Rescue | Smoke Maze
| Pre-Incident Training
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Sometimes, West Reading Fire Department is requested to respond to other communities when they need extra help. To prepare for such events, we sometimes train with companies outside our normal coverage area. In this photo, members of Reiffton Fire Department are learning how to use our ladder truck in case we are called to assist them on a major fire or some other incident. |
Structural Firefighting Training: Colonial Hills & Berks Training Site
Due to the expansion of Route 222 in Cumru and Spring Townships, properties along the road were purchased by the state and condemned. One of these properties was the former Colonial Hills Bowling and Fitness Club. Before the vacated building was torn down, West Reading, Kenhorst and Grill fire companies had the opportunity to practice structural firefighting skills, as seen below.
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Truck 64's aerial ladder and a ground ladder are placed for firefighters to gain access to the roof. |
Engine 64 prepares to lay out 5-inch hose to simulate a water supply to the Truck. |
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Firefighters set up to practice ventilation operations on the roof. |
The K-1200 saw is put into operation. It's a solid roof, and cutting it is challenging, but eventually the "ventilation" is accomplished. |
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Squad 69 (Kenhorst Fire Company) sets up a staging area for refilling of SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) cylinders. As firefighters come out of the building with empty air cylinders, the crew from Kenhorst refills them. |
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West Reading firefighters attend training once every week at our station. Sometimes we get to go "play" at places like the Berks County Fire Training Center's "burn building," as you see below. These photos were taken at a structural firefighting drill in which we put the building to good use!
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It's stated over and over that our fire department is a team! Here, former Fire Chief Sherry Fabriziani proves it by opening her own hydrant. Meanwhile, former Assistant Chief Dean Murray (background) "supervises" the operation. |
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Here, firefighters from West Reading, Shillington and Kenhorst wait for the order to go inside and start attacking the actual live fires that are burning inside this concrete and cinder-block building. |
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A team of firefighters prepares to enter and attack the fires as smoke pours from the building. |
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After the training session is complete, fire line officers and firefighters gather to "critique" the session and each others' performances. It's during training and critique sessions such as this where we really learn the finesse of firefighting by actually doing it, then discussing what went right, what went wrong, and how we can improve. |
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Most of the drivers and engineers in our company have taken an EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operator's Course) to improve their driving knowledge and skills. The first half of the class was held in the classroom. The second half was an "obstacle course" set up to sharpen our skills behind the wheel. In this picture, a driver of Squad 64 is shown taking the Squad through the "slalom." Drivers were required to weave the truck in and out between the cones forward, and then backward! |
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An engineer takes Truck 64 out of the "alley." Drivers were required to back each of the apparatus down the narrow path through the cones (without knocking any over, of course). |
