Under the watchful eye of the Mifflin Township Division of Fire, a building 3816 Armuth Ave. in Gahanna was used for structural fire training on Tuesday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 10.  Firefighters practiced firefighting, search and rescue and other procedures encountered during real firefighting situations by setting controlled fires in the structure, before the final burning of the house in the early afternoon.

 

“These hands-on, live training opportunities give our firefighters a chance to practice drills in a safer, controlled environment, without having to incur the cost of creating a structure for the sole purpose of destroying it,” said Mifflin Fire Chief Fred Kauser. “This training is critical to improving our firefighters’ knowledge of equipment, communications and decision-making capabilities, so that we are ready for our residents, when they need us.”

 

Battalion Chief Jeff Wright, the training officer for this exercise, notified adjacent property owners about the training. 

 

“Public safety is our first priority and I want to be able to respond to any questions or concerns personally,” said Wright.

 

The Mifflin Township Division of Fire adheres to strict safety guidelines established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), and much work goes into preparing a house prior to using it for training. For example, any fuel, windows, carpet and wiring all must be removed prior to burning. For more detailed guidelines established by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, visit http://www.epa.ohio.gov/portals/41/sb/publications/burninghouse.pdf