NEW TRAINING FACILITY
TRAINING
After more than 20 years of planning— and waiting—the Alexandria, Va., Fire Department opened its new training facility.
A plot of land was set aside in 1960 for construction of a fire training center, but land values increased so much that the area was deemed too valuable for a nontaxpaying facility Then plans were developed to use an abandoned incinerator site. But the total plan proved too costly, forcing us to seek another alternative.
An abandoned school one block from the incinerator was looked at next. The most attractive offer was to share office and classroom space in the renovated school building with other city departments Meanwhile, a live fire training area was constructed at the incinerator location.
In the fire training section of the school which is referred to as the Lee Center, we have a physical fitness area complete with a hydraulic exercise machine, weights, exercise mats, jogging track, shower and locker facilities.
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Fire simulator
The classroom space consists of two rooms. The first is used as a general classroom with a capacity of 35 students. The other room is devoted to the fire simulator.
The simulator was designed and built in-house at a cost of approximately $5500. It consists of two rear-projection systems allowing us to show two views of an incident. There are also 10 company stations, one dispatch station, one master control station and an observer station. We videotape the simulations and use the tapes for critique purposes. This allows the participants to evaluate their own actions. We have used the simulator for various incidents, ranging from bedroom fires to major hazardous materials accidents. It has allowed us to evaluate tactics, communication procedures and command operations. We are considering using the simulator as a tool for promotional exams in the future.
The office area provides sections for the training officer, the assistant training officer and the secretarial staff. There is also a conference room adjacent to the offices. Renovations and furnishings cost $56,000.
The garage was added for $80,000 after we moved into Lee Center in 1980. This addition provides overflow classroom space as well as storage area for apparatus.
Live fire training
The live fire training facility is in the rear of the incinerator, which is being renovated for other city use. The new building provides a multitude of training capabilities in one structure, built on a site that measures 90 X 105 feet. It provides a challenge because it is built on a congested site which reflects portions of the older parts of the city.
The building dimensions are 40 X 40 X 30 feet tall. It will allow us to perform practical training functions we previously could not conduct. The basic design for the building was developed in-house, with the drawings refined and blueprints completed by a local architect
The estimated cost of the project, including demolition of a portion of the old incinerator and construction of the burn building is $264,000.
The building is constructed of reinforced concrete columns and decks. Exterior and partition walls of Johns-Manville Marinite refractory panels are designed to withstand up to 1200 degrees. The panels are 4 X 8 feet X 1 inch and come predrilled for ease of installation. They will be mounted on a steel grid system which provides the structural strength of the walls. The ceilings will be covered with 1-inch Marinite panels to protect the concrete from the heat. We believe this to be the only burn building on the East Coast to use these panels. With them, we expect many years of service with minimal maintenance.
Attached to smoke stack
The structure is attached to the existing smoke stack from the old incinerator. This allows us to channel smoke and pollution high up and away from neighboring structures.
The first floor contains a mask maze using 4 X 4-foot X ¾-inch plywood panels which fasten to vertical steel posts. The panels can be changed with minimal effort to provide a multitude of patterns. The maze is designed to be isolated from the burn area of the building, allowing us to conduct mask training and search and rescue evolutions without heat and smoke condititions.
A hot fire room, also on the first floor, will have a double layer of Marinite on the walls and ceilings for protection during long durations or higher temperature fires, A 12 X 12-inch high-temperature glass viewing window allows personnel to observe (from the exterior of the building) the events which occur in the hot room, without subjecting them to the hazardous environment.
There will also be a three-part sprinkler system installed in the hot room with a total of six heads (two upright, two pendant and two sidewall type). Each pair of heads will be valved independently of the others. A 6 X 6-inch hole from the room above will be used for cellar pipe and other operations as desired.
There is a standpipe system with outlets on landings between floors. This forces fire fighters to climb at least one flight of steps when using the standpipes.
The second floor is primarily a burn area. There is one large central room with three smaller rooms off to the sides.
Forcible entry, ventilation areas
The third level consists of two rooms and an open deck area The main room contains a fireplace for chimney fire training, and sliding glass doors for forcible entry drills. There is also a skylight provided on the roof of this section for ventilation prac tices. Rapelling anchors are installed adjacent to the skylight on the roof. The location of these anchors will allow us to perform rope slides from all sides of the building.
The deck area outside the sliding glass doors provide work space for various uses There is a 4 X 4-foot chop-out patch located in the deck area.
The other room on the third floor has a pitched roof constructed of steel beams with corrugated metal decking and a finished aluminum topping. There will be another chop-out patch on the pitched roof Beneath the pitched roof is the attic simulation area. This area has a scuttle opening from the second-floor level as might be found in a normal house.
Windows will be installed on the north side of the building on the first and second floors. They will include casement, sliding, double-hung and awning-type windows.
There are three separate stairways in the building, including an enclosed tower, exterior fire escape and an interior open staircase. The enclosed stair tower runs to all three floors. It is designed to resemble a typical high-rise building. The top landing of the stair tower includes a wall ladder leading to a roof hatch as might be found in a commercial building An open exterior fire escape leads from the ground to the third floor, with exits directly across from the enclosed stair tower. An interior open staircase leads from the first-floor burn area to the second floor.
The sanitary district area adjacent to the burn building provides us with a network of streets for driver training use.
