Fire Academy Is Microcosm Of Buildings In New York

August 1, 1978
ByFire Engineering Staff

Fire Academy Is Microcosm Of Buildings In New York

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Drill tower has two wing walls, one of which is at the right, to provide extra space for the raising of ground ladders. Permanent nets, one for three windows and the other for two, are at opposite sides of the tower. A standpipe system runs the height of the tower and one floor has a sprinkler system. Floor areas can be used to simulate high-rise apartment and office buildings, and the windows are representative of the many types in New York

—staff photos

Education and administration building, with 40,000 square feet of space, is of unusual design with a shed roof and an earth berm that separates it from the outside training activities. In addition to office space, the building contains a 550-seat auditorium and eight classrooms for 420 students. A TV studio and a laboratory for experiments and demonstrations also are in this building.

The fire training buildings at its new Fire Academy are a microcosm of the many types of buildings in which the New York Fire Department fights fires. In addition to a basic fire fighting building, or smoke house, there are a simulated taxpayer, tenement, and frame house, and a drill tower in which high-rise evolutions can be conducted.

The Fire Academy is on 27 acres of Wards Island in the middle of the East River and in the shadow of the Triborough Bridge. In addition to the buildings mentioned, there is an education and administration building, an apparatus repair and development building, and a simulated fire station complete with watch desk. A wharf provides docking facilities for fireboats.

A roadway for training apparatus drivers circles the training area and there is a corrugated tunnel, above ground, for simulating subway tunnel fires and other emergencies. On the driving course, electric pop-ups can put a pedestrian or baby carriage mockup in front of an approaching apparatus and controllable traffic lights add further reality to the training.

Underground electrical vaults and various types of overhead electrical wiring were installed for training purposes by Consolidated Edison.

Taxpayer building, at left, and tenement are built for training fires and they have sections of floors, ceilings and walls that can be opened up. The bearing walls and most of the partitions were built of fire-resistant concrete or fire brick. The taxpayer store fronts have shutters such as are found throughout the city.Smoke house was designed for large training fires to simulate conditions not only in buildings, but also aboard ships. The surrounding platform gives access to the building for simulation of cellar or ship’s hold fires on the first floor. Fires also are built on the second floor.Auditorium, which has a balcony with theater seating, has visual aid facilities so that it can be used for either department ceremonies or lectures.Lunch area is at one end of the hall that runs the length of the educational and administration building.Classroom scene is representative of all eight such rooms. Individual desks and chairs add comfort while long blackboards and projection screens allow use of visual aids.Wood-frame dwelling representation actually is mostly brick and concrete to resist training fires, but the structure has wood and plaster panels that can be cut open.

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