Battling The Blaze

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Montgomery County gave citizens a sneak peek into what it is like to be a firefighter, as the County invited citizens to witness the live burning portion of the Pressurized Container Fire Control course.

Pressurized Container Fire Control is an eight-hour course that instructs firefighters on how to handle these especially difficult fires in the classroom, then has the men and women apply their knowledge in a live burn. Twenty-three firefighters from multiple departments, includ- continued from page

ing Ailey Fire Department, Tarrytown Fire Department, Alston Fire Department, Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis Fire Department, and Georgia Department of Corrections Fire Services – Montgomery State Prison and Rogers State Prison, completed the class.

The course was taught by Fire Chief Logan Willis, along with twelve other instructors from the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, Georgia Department of Corrections Fire Services, Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis Fire and Rescue, Evans County Fire Department, McRae-Helena Fire Department, and Glynn County Fire Department. Each instructor has to be evaluated on these tasks during multiple classes after taking an instructor course designed just for the Pressurized Container Fire Control course. Students then suited up and prepared to extinguish a live pressurized container fire on Morrison Street in Mount Vernon, near the Montgomery County Recreation Department. The community was invited to attend the event to learn more about what firefighters do and to witness the exercise.

During the live burn evaluation of the class, natural gas was pumped into a pressurized container, which was then ignited. Firefighters took turns in groups to work together to extinguish the fire, as instructors walked alongside them, continuing to instruct them on when to open the hose wider and when to step closer to the flames.

“We want to say a special thank you to Pete Habersham and Craig Smith with Patriot Gas for taking time out of their schedule and for providing the propane used for the course,” Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency Director Tristan Willis remarked.

After extinguishing their fire, firefighters were required to sit in the Toombs- Montgomery EMS Rehab station to ensure that their health was not compromised during the testing.

Willis said that other fire and rescue courses had been taught within Montgomery County, but, to his knowledge, this is the first time the County has hosted a class with a live fire. He stated that the County plans to continue hosting live fire classes in the future, and that he hopes that the ability to receive training closer to home will inspire citizens to join their local volunteer fire departments.

To learn more about becoming a firefighter, contact your local volunteer fire station or Emergency Management Agency.