No worries if you saw smoke behind the new City Hall on Wednesday morning. Division Chief of Operations Thanh Ketchum had the firemen training at the Central Station.
“It’s our way of practicing without tearing up someone’s door. We re-load it for each of the guys to practice. It’s made basically the same way a steel door is made. If we can get into this door, we can get into others – if we have to. We aren’t going to break into a door unless we see smoke. We have tools to do a “respectful” entry where we don’t damage anything, just like breaking into an office without tearing anything up.
“A steel door will have deadbolts, and that’s what these are simulating. In the old days, when someone would kick in a door, that’s unrealistic – yes, maybe for an interior door. But not an outside steel or metal door of a business. This is what it will take to get into it.”
The smoke effect is created by burning hay in little steel pods and letting it build up. Then the firemen go in to put it out.
“We will get in, no matter what – especially when we know someone is in danger,” he said.
Ketchum pointed to another building on the property for training and added, “That building is a smoke building. We smoke it with fake smoke, then black out their helmets so they can’t see. The only exception has been the Pace Industries fire several years ago. That building is designed to exhaust all that heat and smoke out of the building on a normal day. So when we came in, you could see all the different fires where it was burning in the building, but that isn’t normal. Usually, you can’t even see your hand. Everything is by feel. So that’s why they take in tools.”
For those interested in new-hire part/paid testing, contact Ketchum at 870-741-5535. There are currently no openings in the full-time staff, but the part/paid positions are where new hires are pulled from. Testing will be on Oct. 28. Applications are due by Oct. 20. Go to harrisonar.gov for the application forms.
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