Crucial Firefighter Training Held In Chattanooga

Firefighters from Tennessee and Georgia received very important training in Chattanooga this week that will help save their lives should they ever find themselves trapped or lost while fighting a fire. Master instructors from the International Association of Firefighters taught the Fire Ground Survival (FGS) Class to members of several different fire departments over the course of four days. The Chattanooga Fire Department hosted the big event and used new equipment for the program, which was made possible by a grant. Twenty-eight firefighters from the CFD, Soddy Daisy FD, Cleveland FD, East Ridge FD, Oak Ridge FD, Catoosa County FD, Dalton FD, and Bradley County Fire-Rescue took part in the class. It culminated in a large training exercise at the recently-closed Hamilton County Jail on Friday morning where all of the skills learned during the week were put into practice. This was a “train the trainer” program so all of the participants were instructors. They can now take the knowledge learned in the class back to their individual departments to teach their own firefighters.

“We gave them skills so they know what to do when they’re in trouble. When they leave here, they’re going to train their firefighters what to do when they run into a situation where they’re trapped, entangled, etc. They will be able to share all of that information with their organization,” said Dorian Jackson, master instructor with the International Association of Firefighters.

This ensures consistent training to thousands firefighters in the area. FGS teaches skills that are essential to surviving in the event the firefighter is lost, disoriented, low on air, trapped, injured, or if they are experiencing an SCBA mask malfunction. It also teaches communications protocols during a firefighter emergency so that firefighters responding with other jurisdictions on automatic and mutual aid incidents know how to properly communicate with other fire agencies

Firefighters will not only be more aware of fire conditions, but most importantly, will be safer by being better prepared to respond to situations in which firefighters are fighting for survival. This training dealt with teaching firefighters survival skills of disentanglement, removing oneself from a hazardous environment by breaching and exiting through a wall, and self-rescuing out of an upper floor window. We appreciate the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office providing a location for Friday’s exercise.

“As the public is well aware, the jail closed June 1^st. The Sheriff’s Office will maintain control of this facility for a while and until a decision is made about what’s going to happen with the building, we’re utilizing it for public safety training,” explained Chief Deputy Austin Garrett. “We were more than glad to offer it for this class. Public safety is a partnership and we want our firefighters and our law enforcement officers, when the call comes in, to be able to respond with the best resources and training to save lives.”

The CFD worked with the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program and the Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association to secure funding for a special trailer for this type of training. The department was lucky enough to receive the grant ($77,000) for the fire ground survival program and to purchase a new trailer which contains a number of different training props.

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