The Upper Makefield Fire Company (UMFC) is the primary fire/rescue agency for Upper Makefield Township, situated in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The fire protection district occupies 22 rural square miles and protects a population of 7,500. This area is served by a main station with a new CAFS-equipped, 2,000-gpm engine with 1,000-gallon tank; a combination engine/rescue; a 4,000-gallon tanker; and a marine unit. The sub station houses a Class A engine. The department is staffed by 30 volunteer firefighters and provides first-due response to the historic village of Washington Crossing (where George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day, 1776) and the associated high-value historic buildings, a park, a library/research center, and homes.
 |
A local resident donated a house to the UMFC for live-fire training. The wood-frame, two-story colonial-style house measured approximately 3,700 square feet, including six bedrooms on the second floor and a living room, dining room, den, full-size kitchen, and enclosed breezeway leading to an attached three-car garage on the first floor. The basement extended under only three-fourths of the main residence; a later addition did not include a basement (photos 1, 2).
 |
The UMFC, working with surrounding mutual-aid fire companies (including two from New Jersey), conducted multiple live-burn scenarios in the structure over two consecutive weekends during a cold January. Instructors and safety officers from the Bucks County Community College Emergency Training Center (BCCCETC) supervised the evolutions. The UMFC and the mutual-aid companies that participated over the four days of training included four engine companies, one RIT team, three tankers, one air cascade unit, one rehab unit (canteen), and a BLS unit. Five additional companies covered the areas of the participating fire companies so that the drills could be conducted without distraction or risk to the township.
During the first two days of live-fire training, the department accomplished 20 evolutions using only the house’s second floor. On the second weekend, using the first floor and the basement, participants performed 12 additional evolutions.
LIVE-FIRE TRAINING NEEDED
The UMFC adheres to specific National Fire Protection Association certification standards and maintains a regularly planned, aggressive training schedule conducted by the BCCCETC, which is NFPA, IFSTAC, and National Pro Board accredited. However, since the UMFC responds to approximately 210 calls per year, and new members were joining the all-volunteer company, our ability to develop our members along with the mutual-aid companies in a timely manner was at best limited. We conducted the drill under NFPA 1403, Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions.
PLANNING
The drill’s success resulted in large measure from proper planning, which involved the following considerations.
Coordination. We coordinated with local code enforcement, the local fire marshal, the state fire academy, and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). All of these entities required permits for our exercise; additionally, the DEP required a federally certified and licensed asbestos inspection.
Permission. We obtained written and notarized permission from the homeowner stating that the home was indeed donated to the fire company and was to be used for structural firefighting purposes.
Instructors. We chose experienced, forward-thinking, and aggressive fire instructors who weren’t afraid to say “no” to a particular plan/evolution.
• Scenario preplan/review. Chiefs and instructors preplanned, reviewed, and “walked through” six different proposed scenarios for firefighter safety considerations.
• Hazard removal. We removed additional hazards in the home including the water heater, the oil heater and tank, the air- conditioning units, and appliances; power was shut off at the pole to further minimize hazards to firefighters.
• Inspection. We assigned two UMFC battalion chiefs, a captain, and a lieutenant to inspect the home for structural integrity and to identify any weaknesses. The basement steps in particular were a problem and needed to be reinforced.
• Participant coordination. One UMFC deputy chief was charged with coordinating surrounding mutual-aid companies; 18 companies took part in supporting this drill.
• Notifying the community. We coordinated with local police, dispatch centers, neighbors, and the press. The local government cable channel announced the drill to the surrounding residents and community.
• Water supply. We requested permission from Newtown Artesian Water Company to refill tankers; the drills required the use of 24,000 gallons of water each weekend.
• Rehab/EMS staging. Firefighters involved in the drills required shelter (a warm, dry tent); the first day was especially cold and wet. A canteen unit supplied food for members, and EMS was staged.
• Secondary water supply. We planned for a secondary water supply, since the operations used tankers and folding tanks. At the scene, the primary water supply was three full 3,000-gallon portable water tanks; three tankers on-site holding an additional 12,000 gallons of water served as the secondary water supply.
 |
• Instructor/student safety. We made contingency plans for instructor/student safety while operating inside the structure. These included a separate two-inch handline connected to a second engine, ladder placement, and a separate direct connection to an “emergency” tanker/engine (photo 3).
• Fire fuel. The training evolutions involved the use of 110 hay bales and approximately 80 wood pallets.
EVOLUTIONS
We established teams and rotated members through various tasks. Each evolution involved six instructors: two outside the structure for safety and accountability, two inside upstairs, and two inside downstairs. Chiefs, instructors, and firefighters, supervised by the UMFC chief of department, communicated using portable radios. The developed scenarios occurred daily and were reviewed beforehand. They included the following:
 |
• coordinated attack and backup line use and placement;
 |
• search and rescue team coordination (photos 4, 5);
 |
• tanker operations involving setting up draft from the engine and from multiple folding tanks (photo 6);
• proper venting techniques;
• salvage and overhaul, which included a complete teardown of each fire room at the end of the day; and
• area RIT teams practicing rescue of a downed firefighter at least once every day on-site.
LESSONS LEARNED
Time. Allow plenty of time to get necessary permits and accomplish everything else in the planning process. It took four to six weeks to obtain the permits for this operation. Also, there was a time constraint to actually raze the house. Given the three to four months required to plan and get relevant permits, we were under a time constraint in the end. We had a two-week window in which to perform our drills once all the preliminary work was done. If we had had more time, we would have devoted more time to ladder, ventilation, and RIT operations.
 |
Backup lines. Always set up a backup line from a secondary engine! We lost pressure on a brand new primary engine at the height of an evolution. A safety handline with secondary water supply from a backup tanker was always in place for instructor and firefighter safety (photo 7).
Fatigue. On the first day, we pushed firefighters to the point of exhaustion. We backed off and did a better job of pacing ourselves later on.
Staging. We had to stage tanker operations in a tight space. Even though the property was large, the road was not.
Accountability system. Get into the habit of using and keeping personnel accountability reports throughout. We used such an accountability system at an actual incident two weeks later.
• • •
Advanced planning paid off in every area. The drill was successful, and no one was even slightly injured. The operation enabled more recent members of the department to really hone their skills; more experienced firefighters were able to avoid complacency. The drill also allowed the chiefs to test the newer firefighters for future leadership roles as they obtained more experience. Finally, bringing in the mutual-aid companies and working side by side with them for the two weekends was an invaluable experience. ■
■ TIMOTHY BREWER is chief of the Upper Makefield Fire Company in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. A 25-year veteran of the fire service, he spent 16 years as a Pennsylvania certified fire instructor.
■ WARREN FUCHS is a firefighter with the Upper Makefield Fire Company and Montgomery Township (PA) Fire Station 18. He retired after serving 37 years as a dispatcher with the Fire Department of New York.
■ BART KRAUSS is a firefighter with the Upper Makefield (PA) Fire Company, with which he has served 17 years.
