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BUILDINGS NEEDED FOR TRAINING
Firefighter training is a
unique task in of itself, and the members of the Orcas
Island Fire & Rescue Training Division are constantly
seeking new ways to train our firefighters. OIFR is asking
property owners who may have a structure that is abandoned
and/or ready for demolition to allow our firefighters to
conduct training in it. OIFR needs abandoned/vacant
buildings for these different types of training. If a
property owner has a vacant structure that he/she would
like to donate for use by the fire department, but doesn’t
want the building destroyed, he/she can request it be used
for
NON-DESTRUCTIVE training.
There are three types of training you might
consider:
Non-destructive (search and rescue
training)
Destructive (breaching walls, cutting holes
in roofs, etc.)Burn
(fire suppression
activities – eventually burning the structure to the
ground) If a
property owner has a vacant structure that is scheduled for
demolition, the fire department would be grateful to use it
for DESTRUCTIVE or BURN training. The best structures for
firefighter training are ones that are not good for the
owners – having low appeal for potential tenants. Buildings
that are most sought after are:
Abandoned / Vacant
• Single family residences
• Multi-family residences
• One or two-story apartment buildings
*Documentation
will be required confirming that there is no insurance on
the structure and that the structure is free of
asbestos.
For more information on how you
might donate your building for firefighter training please
contact the OIFR Training Division at 376-2331.
Other Ways to Help
In the field of emergency services there is never enough
budget to go around. Recently, the Orcas Island Medical
Guild purchased a new (and very costly) device to measure
Carbon Monoxide in the blood of our patients. Another
fund-raiser purchased Automatic External Defibrillators for
every member.
We currently need to upgrade
our radios to meet a new Federal standard, which go into
effect in 2010.
Chief Mike Harris
