Scene Preservation, Training in An Acquired Structure

This week West Mead #1 members enjoyed two training opportunities. On Tuesday Chief Scott Hyde of Albion Volunteer Fire Department taught a certified class on Scene Preservation for the First Responder. His presentation focused on tactical, legal, and personal safety implications when treating fire incidents as potential crime scenes. Members of West Mead #2, Conneaut Lake Park, and Meadville Central also attended the three-hour class at Liberty Street station.

On Thursday West Mead #1 trained with Meadville Central in an acquired structure along North Street in Meadville. Members practiced VEIS (Vent, Enter, Isolate, Search) in teams of three, setting up ladders, entering the room, securing the flow path by closing any interior doors, conducting searches, and extricating any victims.

Next, training moved to engine company operations, advancing a charged 1 3/4″ hoseline up a stairway and into the structure with vision obscured. Crews relied on team communication and aural clues to detect the location of the simulated fire.

Training concluded with vertical ventilation. Crews set up ground ladders and roof ladders to span the roof, located the rafters, and cut 4′ x 4′ holes in the roof to ventilate the interior.

West Mead #1 thanks Meadville Central and Marquette Savings Bank for the opportunity to train in the acquired structure, with special appreciation to Lieutenant Jill Staaf of Meadville Central and Branch Manager Steve Kightlinger of Marquette Savings Bank.