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Oct. 1, 2007
Shelley Szafraniec, APR
Community Information Specialist

FIREFIGHTERS TRAIN REGIONALLY FOR HIGHRISE EMERGENCIES

Volusia County Fire Services will continue to host local firefighters Oct. 8 - Nov. 12 as they train for high-rise building emergency incidents. The drills will be at the Volusia County Fire Training Center, 3889 Tiger Bay Road, Daytona Beach.

The training sessions will be from 6:15 - 8:50 p.m., Oct. 8-12, Oct. 15, Oct. 17, Oct. 22-26, Oct. 29-30, Nov. 6, Nov. 9 and Nov. 12, and are being offered through the Volusia County Fire Chief’s Association (VCFCA) training committee. The training brings together firefighters from agencies in Volusia, Seminole and Flagler counties.

Patrick Kelly, DeLand fire chief and VCFCA president, emphasized the association has worked hard in recent years to develop and implement standardized response protocols for incidents, such as a highrise rescue.

“This regionalized training is intended to ensure that all responders are working from the same set of response protocols during incidents that require a multi-agency response,” said Kelly. “Whether it is a high-rise rescue, a hazardous materials spill, or other large emergency where resources from many departments are needed, the Fire Chief’s Association wants responders to be trained to work together seamlessly to ensure the safety of the public in Volusia County.”

According to Lt. Chuck Kamine, training coordinator with Volusia County Fire Services, the firefighters will practice firefighting and rescue techniques in the event of a high-rise building fire or other structural incident.

The training sessions will use resources from a different agency for each session. For example, Deltona Fire Rescue and Volusia County Fire Services may be providing the instructors, while the City of Daytona Beach and Edgewater are providing the students and vehicles, according to Kamine.

“Highrise buildings can present a large list of challenges for responding emergency workers that may require requesting mutual aid in the form of additional manpower and resources,” said Kamine. “This training will help to assure that firefighters at a highrise incident will be familiar with the procedures established by the Volusia County Fire Chief’s Association.”

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