Training

Training

The St. Leonard Volunteer Fire Department prides itself on the high frequency and level that it's members are trained. Company 7 has had the distinction to be the first department in the state of Maryland to win the Zembower Memorial Training Award for three consecutive years, 89' - 91'. This award is given annually at the State Firemen's Convention in Ocean City, Maryland to the department with the most average hours of training per member in that department. Drill nights are held every Thursday night in addition to one small EMS and Fire drill per duty night.

Boat Drill

If any members want to have a drill on Zodiac #7, please let Bill Schooley know. We will be putting together a class within the next couple weeks.

Live Burn Drill

May 24, 2005 - At 1700 hours, members from Company 7 and 3 took part in live fire training exercises in a donated structure on St. Leonard Road. Members drilled on numerous topics including fire behavior as well as everyday hose line evolutions. Members drilled on the block house for approximately 2 1/2 hours before letting the house go up in flames. Due to the house being visible from Route 4 and all the fire department apparatus being on St. Leonard Road, the Calvert Control Center received 193 - 911 calls on the fire.

Hose Drill

April 28, 2005 - Every 3rd and 4th Tuesdays of the month, members at Company 7 participate in different drills on various topics. This drill was designed simulate pulling hose lines into buildings and what obstacles which may be encountered.

The drill started will a brief story of a Cincinnati firefighter that was killed during a flashover while battling a small residential house fire. The house flashed a little over three minutes after the fire department first arrived on location.

Members participated in evolutions with three man crews to show difficulties that may be experienced during the day with short staffing. The crews were left with making their own decision on when the mask up and charge the line. Crews went through several different evolutions implementing different ideas on how to be more effective in placing hose lines in place. Members drilled for a little over an hour before critiquing the different ideas.

Chief 7A, Chief 7B, Safety Officer 7, Training Officer

Members Participate in Live Fire Training

January 29, 2005 - Volunteers from St. Leonard, Prince Frederick, and Huntingtown traveled down to Broomes Island Road to participate in a live burn on a drill house. Members trained in four hours worth of total evolutions before allowing the whole house to go up in flames. Topics including during the evolutions varied from advancing hose lines into the house to suppression and hydraulic ventilation. A roof sector was held throughout the drill to show of the importance of watching and checking for extension during an incident. A special thanks to Steve Wurtz for helping members in the current pumps class, from our station, in drafting operations.

Units: Engine 71, Squad 7, Tanker 7, Ambulance 78, Ambulance 79, Command 7, Utility 7

Mutual Aid Units: Engine 62, Tower 2, Tanker 6, Tanker 2

"Let it go"

Simulated warehouse fire with one victim trapped on the second floor. A single hose line was pulled to extinguish two fires while also being able to locate and rescue the victim all with one engine crew.

Hoseline and rescue operations in a donated old farm house in Broomes Island.

October 23rd was the first opportunity for members to train in the new county funded RIT classes. This class contained first part class room lecture followed by a maze type course with firefighters working together in teams of two to help each other make it through. The last portion was done in an actual acquired structure down Broomes Island Road. Below are some pictures.

Mock Drill at CCNPP

October 17, 2004 - At 0730 hours members of Companies 7, 2, 3, and St. Mary's company 9 traveled to Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant to take part in a drill. This drill was a mock of a fire in a warehouse and showed members what it would be like to operate on a large scale incident. The call was dispatched at 1015 hours, for reported smoke on the second floor with a activated sprinkler system in the building. First in crews were met with heavy smoke on the second floor with two victims trapped. These two victims were rescue within the first 10 minutes of the incident. The smoke was pushing across the second floor from a single door leading into the warehouse storage section of the building with restricted access through that door. Engine 22's crew held the line on that door while Engine 72's crew along with Engine 34's crew pulled a line into the storage side of the warehouse extinguishing the fire, located by Squad 7's crew, which involved a forklift. Squad 7 and Tower 2's crews performed primary and secondary searches while Tower 2's crew also simulated ventilation of the roof. The fire was not placed under control until 1040 hours.

Units: Engine 72, Squad 7, Ambulance 78, Chief 7B(Command), Safety Officer 7

Mutual Aid Units: Engine 22, Engine 34, Engine 292, Tower 2

Chimney fire season is getting ready to start with the night time temperatures gradually dropping, so Sgt. J. Anderson held a drill dealing with chimney fires. Members were reminded of how to operate on chimney fires dealing with both roof operations and interior operations. Special attention was taken to remind of the importance of checking with the thermal imager and the red dot thermometer for possible extensions on each floor. Below are some pictures.

On September 17 - 19, 2004, members of the St. Leonard Vol. Fire Dept traveled up to Hanover, Pennsylvania to take part in the 2004 Mason Dixon Trench Rescue Weekend. The class was a three hour lecture followed by two 8 hour days of practical work. The members learned and became certified in Trench Awareness and Operations. Aspects of both trench shoring operations as well as EMS packaging and patient removal were discussed.