Tuesday night 3 of us from Willard Fire went out to the flashover trailer at the Tremonton airport for training. The trailer is from UFRA (Utah Fire and Rescue Academy) Its a big enclose trailer that is pulled by a semi they take around to different locations for training. You have to attend an hour and a half class and sign a waver to play. They teach you about flashovers in fires and signs to watch for an how to start avoiding them. A flashover is when the entire room combusts. All the unburned particles...smoke, oxygen, clothing, firefighters etc instantaneously light on fire because the temperatures have reached such a degree and the conditions are that it causes the flashover.
So you get all packed up in all your gear and go inside this metal trailer
The upper piece has a platform that puts the fire aprox 3 feet above you so you are below a lot of the heat. They show you the different smokes and what to watch for like rollover etc to show you that a flashover is coming and ways to buy yourself more time. A flashover will kill you. No question. No survival. A flashover normally occurs around 500 degrees. We were in temperatures about 350 degrees. It was nice being below the fire because we werent subjected to as much heat. Above us was a lot hotter but thats why they build the fire up higher on the platform.
So we are all inside this. There is a barrel full of wood and pieces of particle board as walls and ceilings around it to simulate a house.The top has vents so you can adjust your heat, flame, smoke etc. They have an instructor up front and two of you at a time go up and listen to him (in all our gear, on air and scba masks) talk and tell you about the different things you are seeing and feeling. He lets the fire build up and when you're getting close to a flashover he has you hit the walls with water to cool it down or they will have them open the vents. Then you crawl on your hoseline back to the back by the doors and two more go up. There is an instructor at the back keeping an eye on you too.. although you cant see. Its almost pitch black and filled with smoke.
They took us into the trailer in groups of five since there were ten of us.I was nervous I hadnt packed up and done something like this in like 8 years. So I made myself go first. Taylor and I were the first group to go up and see the demonstration. It was pretty awesome!
After thats all done inside you have to come out still in full gear and tear down everything inside and get it set up for the next group.
(all these picts are of Corinne fire doing overhaul.. obviously I couldnt take any picts of our group doing this)
Me after my round in the trailer
My friend Cassidy was also there. Shes with Corinne. I have been best friends with her older sister since I was a Jr in High School. Now little miss Cassidy is all grown up!
Willard Fire
Chase, Taylor and I
Corinne Fire
Tim Norman, Cassidy Noyes, Colter Noyes (her hubby) Chad Bywater and Melina Riser
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