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TRAINING DAYS
(July 20, 2007 - Montgomery
Township) - Summertime usually means "relaxation" for
most people. But the volunteer firefighters at F.D.M.T.
have been working hard to keep their skills sharp.
During a weekend in mid-June all
driver/operators were required to complete the Emergency Vehicle
Operators Course (EVOC) to test their competency behind the
wheel of department apparatus.
 The
EVOC test course consisted of several skill stations designed to
test the drivers ability to maneuver the trucks in different
situations. One scenario (pictured at left)
required an Engine to drive a straight line between pairs of
cones set 8 feet apart, and then back up in a straight line
without touching any of the cones. Other skills included
backing into a simulated "loading dock" area, driving forward
and backwards through a serpentine course, and parallel parking!
Knocking over any cones required the driver to repeat the
station until they had mastered the skill.
Late June/early July saw 18's crews
taking a weekend to practice with personal safety harnesses.
In a mix of classroom and hands-on training, firefighters
learned how to put their harnesses to use in a variety of ways
to rescue trapped victims...and also themselves
should the need arise.
 FF
Joe Bennett (pictured at left) was one of a number
of firefighters who got to practice a "pick-off" move where a
firefighter is lowered from one story of a building to another
where he can grab a victim, attach them to the harness, and
lower them safely to the ground.
The focus of the day was on bailout
training, and how harnesses can make all the difference should a
firefighter need to exit a building quickly if conditions
deteriorate.
Firefighters were shown numerous
methods of how to quickly bail out of a window on the upper
floors of a structure using their personal harness and common
tools. In the picture below, Special Operations Battalion
Chief Doug Share is ready to be "caught" by his harness and rope
as he completes his exit out a window.
F.D.M.T. would like to thank Chief
88 and the
Fort
Washington Fire Company for allowing us to use their
training grounds for this activity.
Recently, F.D.M.T.
firefighters participated in the Limerick Nuclear Generating
Station drill. F.D.M.T. and numerous other area responders
gathered at Montgomery Mall to simulate the setup and
operation of a decontamination site in the event of an
evacuation around the Limerick Plant. Montgomery Mall is
one of several designated "reception centers" for Limerick
evacuees.
Check back throughout the summer and
beyond for more updates on F.D.M.T. firefighter training.
(Pictures courtesy FF Vinay
Setty)
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