SMFD Newsletter

05-18-23 SMFD Newsletter #10

Fire Training Facility Progress

Progress continues on the fire training facility burn building located off Hwy 21 near the San Marcos Airport with the forms of the second story floor almost completed!

Forcible Entry and VES Training

Over the course of an 8-week mini academy, our new hires will undergo numerous trainings including forcible entry and VES or Vent, Enter, Search training. All of these classes are held at Fire Station 3 and are conducted under the watchful eye of veteran members of the SMFD. During forcible entry training, the new hires are taught how to utilize the "irons", or a Halligan bar and flat-headed axe to gain entry into a building. While undergoing VES training, the new hires are taught to properly vent a room by fully breaking out and removing all elements of the window - glass, trim, treatments, etc. before entering the building to make their way to an inner door to close and secure the room. This will allow them to isolate and search for any potential victims from the closed door back towards the vented window in order to provide aide and help safely remove them from the structure. After today, this group of new hires will have completed their fifth week of the mini academy and will be placed on shift once they complete an additional three weeks of training with the crews.

What is a 1 vs 2 alarm fire?

ONE ALARM FIRE:

Upon arriving at the fire, if the first unit thinks it's necessary, they will call in a second alarm (2 alarm fire), which will double the fire department's response - increasing the manpower and equipment for fire control.