WMFD: the best, training the best
Fire department exercises quickly escalate to the real deal
By DON WILBURN
donaldfwilburn@gmail.com
It was supposed to be a routine day. The Times had been tagging along with the West Memphis Fire Department recently as they conducted regularly scheduled training procedures and today was the fourth such invite to “tag along”. Fire Chief Robert Mabe invited us to come see a simulation of a second story apartment fire, which would have been exciting enough in itself, when suddenly a call came in. This was no longer a drill.
Over the past month The Times had the privilege to see these local heroes in action in two separate training exercises in which already fully certified firefighters receive additional training on the job in order to be prepared for any situation that might come up. The first was “foam training”.
Fire foam is used in lieu of water and is, as it sounds, a thick sudsy foam typically used for Class B fires in which flammable liquids are involved such as alcohol, grease or gasoline. The purpose of this foam is to put a “lid” on the fire, essentially smothering it. As with common kitchen fires often caused when cooking oil ignites it is advised to never throw water on the fire as it
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spreads the oil and actually causes the fire to spread. So it is with Class B fires. While with other types of fires water may be sprayed directly into the flames, the foam technique differs in that the objective is to lay down a blanket of foam in front of and behind the fire to contain it and then aim higher and let the foam rain down creating the aforementioned “lid”.
For those curious, the other fire classes are A) solid materials such as wood and paper commonly called “ordinary fires”, C) electronic appliances and wiring, D) metallic substances such as sodium, titanium, magnesium and K) for kitchen and grease fires. In the event of a kitchen grease fire if an extinguisher is not available it is advised to first try to cover the pan with a lid. If this is not possible use baking soda or salt to put out the flame. Never use sugar or flour as it is also combustible and may make the fire worse.
The second and third training exercises conducted this month were more focused on vehicle fires and rescues and “standpipe” training. Vehicles were purposefully overturned and firefighters were instructed on how to use a hydraulic rescue tool, more commonly known as the “Jaws of life”. The jaws of life, invented in 60s by George Hurst (also known for Hurst Shifters and Hurst Performance) to rescue race car drivers from wrecks, is a hydraulic tool capable of spreading anything apart at a width of 28 inches with a force of 44 thousand pounds and has a cutting force of 67 thousand pounds. Later, when talking about the training Chief Mabe said proudly “They pulled the roof off in 11 minutes. That’s fast!’.
The standpipe training, conducted at Southland Casino, is training that consists of a fixed piping system in multi-story buildings where traditional fire engine hoses might not be able to reach. This training was much needed as the Southland Hotel is now the tallest building, at over 20 floors, from Little Rock to Memphis.
Shifting back to the fourth training exercise that is now no longer an exercise we arrived along with Chief Mabe at a live house fire on the west side of town on Oxford St. We were first on the scene in less than five minutes with several fire trucks pulling up immediately after and by the time we had our cameras ready, Chief Mabe had already slipped on his “bunker gear”, or full firefighting uniform and began to assess the situation.
The training exercise had originally been planned as an opportunity for 16 year veteran volunteer fireman, Lieutenant Mark Johnson of Marked Tree, to be evaluated and approved for an acting Captain role here in West Memphis. As he was supposed to be calling the shots at the exercise he would now be doing it for real at a live fire and Chief Mabe conceded control and observed.
Other firefighters quickly swarmed the area setting up ladders and cutting power to the house as Lt. Johnson pointed and calmly barked orders. Luckily for the homeowners the source of the smoke was quickly found and determined to be caused by insulation that had built up in the heating ducts which ignited after turning on their central heat for the first time this winter. An all too common cause of winter house fires. The damage to the home, thanks to the WMFD quick response time, was also minimal with the occupants able to return to their residence after several more checks were made that the fire would not reignite and the smoke had been cleared form the house using powerful portable gas-powered fans. When asked afterwards how Lt. Johnson did, Chief Mabe confidently said that he had passed with flying colors. Lt. Johnson and now acting Captain will make a fine addition to the WMFD, which has one of the highest ISO ratings in the state (an ISO rating is an evaluation of a department’s preparedness and effectiveness and is important enough that a good or bad rating can actually affect property values within a community). Just as well, it should also be mentioned that Fire Chief Barry Ealy also received the award for Leader of the Year just last month.
It seems that West Memphis residents are indeed in good hands and may rest easy knowing that the qualified men and women of the West Memphis Fire Department silently watch over us as we go about our daily lives hoping we never need their services, but we can be confident in the fact that if we ever do, they will answer the call … and not so silently.
West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon and Fire Chief Robert Mabe look on as fire fighters perform “foam training” exercises.
Photo by Don Wilburn
