Firefighters train hands-on in Indy

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Steve Jefferson/Eyewitness News CrimeBeat

Indianapolis, March 31, 2003 - Terrorism is on the minds of thousands of firefighters in Indianapolis this week. The city is hosting the country's largest firefighter training convention, as firefighters across the country come to Indianapolis to learn new skills.

More than 25-thousand firefighters are expected to attend the annual Fire Department Instructor's Conference, which starts tomorrow.
     
They'll take part in workshops on improving rescue efforts and responding to catastrophic events.
     
Indianapolis Fire Captain Bill Brown is the conference coordinator. He says the event offers hands-on training for scenarios that include collapsing buildings, trench rescue training, and high-angle rope rescues.

New York firefighter John O'Connell describes the basic change in training “ from putting out fires to tech rescue, roll training and high angle rope technique, trench rescue, and building collapse rescue, too.”

O'Connell is an expert on fallen structure rescues. “We have over a couple of dozen mannequins in there,” he said, describing a drill scenario. “And what's going to happen is we will have four groups all day tomorrow going into that collapsed structure. And we are going to show them how to go in and rescue those people.”

O'Connell spent five months on Search and Rescue at the World Trade Center . He uses that experience as a teaching tool. "These explosive type scenarios can happen anywhere,” according to O’Connell. “Even driving a car into a building can detonate a problem. Most terrorists incidents are not WMD, they are explosives."

The intense training includes chainsaws, ladder repelling, and structural elevation methods. Monday’s training exercise involved getting out alive.

Fireman Scott Baker had to find his way out blindfolded, “If you are not thinking right,” Baker says, “you might fall through a floor if the floor is missing. So it's a lot of things you got to think about."

Firefighters say the hands-on training will not only help them save others, but also help save their own. “There is no telling what can happen,” Baker says, “especially what is going on in the Middle East , possible bomb threats, or chemicals being used on you.”

O’Connell says there is no substitute for hands-on training.

Firefighters training in Indianapolis will get their first chance to rescue those mannequins from the collapsed apartment building Tuesday morning.

The Indianapolis Housing Authority worked with our IFD to hold part of the hands-on training at the Brokenburr Trails complex.