WHY FIRE CHIEFS ARE EMBRACING TRAINING BY DESIGN
TRAINING BY DESIGN
FIREFIGHTERS FACE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS EVERY TIME THE BELL DROPS. In fact, according to the most recent statistics released by the U.S. Fire Administration, fire departments responded to over 1.24 million fires annually, or one fire every 25 seconds. With such staggering frequency and repeated risk of danger, it is crucial for these safety personnel to receive as much training as possible. Practicing scenario-based training is critical to firefighters’ success and safety. These programs allow the variation and targeting of a larger range of hazardous situations by manipulating even the smallest details. While fire departments are required to develop injury-preventing and life saving training programs, the resources needed are often a prohibitive factor. Many fire chiefs across the country lack on-site facilities and the equipment they need to regularly conduct training. Their firehouses weren’t designed with training in mind so they either go off-site or simply don’t train as much. Most fire chiefs agree that additional training will benefit their firefighters and the communities they serve and protect, but they have concerns about costs and feasibility of including training components in the design of new stations or adding training props to existing facilities. Fire chiefs going through the approval process and funding for a new station with city, county, or township leadership fear that the added costs of training components will reduce the chance the new facility will get approved, or they simply don’t know where to turn for help with the process. This paper focuses on why chiefs should embrace training as a driving component of their next facility. We will profile three fire departments in Colorado, Indiana and Ohio that implemented CR architecture + design’s Training By Design Program to increase the amount, frequency and quality of their training, and ultimately, the performance and safety of their fire crews and communities.
WHAT IS TRAINING BY DESIGN?
CR architecture + design’s Training By Design Program for fire stations drives the seamless integration of training opportunities in the construction of new facilities and as part of renovation projects. CR knows that every department has unique goals and needs when it comes to training, so every design created focuses on that individual station. Regardless of the training features and props, CR’s Training By Design Program offers a customized and holistic approach to designing the facility that best allows your fire personnel to train more regularly and more effectively where they live and work. The program consists of three core components:
AWARENESS:
What are the training opportunities?
INNOVATION:
How can we create/design the opportunities?
BUDGET:
How can we afford the training opportunities?
The first step is to perform a needs assessment. This is where CR reviews the site and building design to consider the potential for training features and opportunities. Among these are the following: Open surface areas for apparatus, temporary props and waste removal Repurposing site components as assets such as slopes and retaining walls Integrating building systems Increasing roof and floor load capacities Increasing water resistance for sprinkler and hose training Installing rope training anchors for appropriate loads Reinforcing wall and roof surfaces for safety and durability Reinforcing and protecting parapets
WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING? GROUND LADDER EVOLUTIONS
HOSE ADVANCEMENT & STAIRWELL EVOLUTIONS
CONFINED SPACE RESCUE
“SAVING YOUR OWN” DRILLS
SEARCH AND RESCUE
TRENCH RESCUE
HIGH ANGLE RESCUE
RAPPELLING
WATER DIVERSION
FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS
DRAFTING
DENVER BOX TRAINING
…AND MANY OTHERS
FIREFIGHTERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TRAINING TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND INCREASE SAFETY IN THE FIELD.
DES MOINES FIRE TRAINING CENTER
DES MOINES, IA
OHIO CR then creates a customized design plan based on the assessment and budget. CR also works closely with each fire department to provide them with the necessary assistance to navigate how to procure funding by justifying investment in Training By Design components to city leaders. CR goes one step further by reviewing cost considerations that may share the building expenses with other city/township departments, local colleges and other community groups. This will allow more ease in funding and garner necessary community involvement and support.
ORANGE TOWNSHIP CONDUCTS ALL OF ITS TRAINING IN HOUSE.
Much like the industry it supports, Training By Design is dynamic and ever-evolving. Firefighters experience new challenges nearly every time they enter the field so Training By Design continues to grow and adapt according to these new circumstances. With CR, fire chiefs and personnel have a partner in an architecture firm that is passionate about public safety, having completed over 100 fire stations in 26 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii as well as work on over 200 government projects. CR understands what it takes to design the ideal station for your training program needs and is there to help guide you through community activation and relations processes. Chiefs who embrace training as a primary design driver of their facilities experience numerous benefits for their stations and communities that continue to deliver an invaluable return on their investment.
REDUCING TIME AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAINING
For Orange Township Fire Department in Delaware, Ohio, adding on-site training programs has significantly increased time and cost savings while also eliminating the coordination required for outside support. “When we worked with CR architecture + design on our new facility, we were one of the lucky ones,” said Chief Matt Noble, OFC Fire Chief of Orange Township Fire Department. “We did what we could at previous facilities, but we were sending people off-site for training on a consistent basis. The costs and inconvenience of training can add up quickly when you have to rely on outside resources. Today, we offer
WHEN WE WORKED WITH ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN OUR NEW FACILITY, WE W ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES PHOTO: PICTURE OF PLAINFIELD FIRE STATION NO. 3. OR COLLAGE CAPTION: TRAINING WAS A MAIN FOCUS FOR THE DESIGN OF FIRE STATION NO 3., FEATURES HIGH TECH INDOOR CLASSROOMS, AND A TOWER AND MEZZANINE FOR SITUATIONAL-BASED TRAINING SCENARIOS. PLAINFIELD FIRE TERRITORY INCORPORATED A TRAINING TOWER WITHIN THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CONTEXT OF THEIR NEARBY FACILITIES.
in-service training on site almost on a weekly basis. We no longer have to pay for training classes, travel and lodging and overtime, nor do we have to back-fill the positions for offsite firefighters.” Since completion of their new facility, Orange Township has conducted all of its training in-house, using a large-scale tower and mezzanine to create a variety of scenarios. Firefighters can conduct rope and rappelling training from any of the four floors. They can smoke the tower, flood the basement with a foot of water, and perform hose stream, standpipe and sprinkler head training. CR’s design even included two doorways for forcible entry, both commercial and residential windows for bailouts, multiple open areas with removable railing for rappelling, grated flooring for confined space training, and a roof hatch access and catwalk to the HVAC system. “We can use these assets anytime, whereas before when and where we trained was also dependent on timing and availability of the outside resources.” Noble stated, “One of the first recognized benefits of our facility was the cost savings. Our department includes about 45 people, and the first time that we used the tower for rope training, we literally paid for the cost of the Training By Design piece of our facility.” Noble continues to provide tours to municipality leaders who are considering building a new station and show interest in the Training By Design concept. The station also hosts a number of other entities for training, creating opportunities to work together to improve in-field operations.
H CR N ON WERE S.
EVOLVING THE BASIC PREMISE OF TRAINING TRAINING TOWERS OFTEN PAY FOR THEMSELVES AFTER THE FIRST TRAINING RUN.
“Prior to our new facility, we did less training, and the quality of our training was not nearly what it needed to be,” said Brian L. Russell, Fire Chief of Plainfield Fire Territory in Plainfield, Ind. “One of our neighboring fire departments had a training facility that we scheduled and paid for, and going offsite meant taking a unit out of service. No one wants untrained firefighters in the field, so embracing training as a primary design element for firehouses is transformative in nature.”
Plainfield has three stations with 66 on-duty personnel and six administrative staff members. As a part of an inter-county task force, Plainfield works closely with 10 other fire departments. Prior to the construction of their new 23,000 square foot facility, Plainfield turned to CR in order to incorporate a more effective and convenient on-site training program. “In my 30 years of experience, every fire department that I have worked with has had issues with training,” said Russell. “Our company in Plainfield did not have the room or training facilities whatsoever, which meant we did less training. The entire dynamic of Training By Design has put an emphasis on increasing the training opportunities while keeping teams onsite to help the community if and when needed.” CR worked closely with Plainfield leadership to identify ways to maximize its station’s footprint for training opportunities, share the costs across other local public entities and outline the benefits of the Training By Design component for both the department and the community. Two major pieces of the new Fire Station 123 are the tower and mezzanine, created areas for rappelling, confined space training and ladder work. Both the variety and volume of on-site training have dramatically increased, while also improving the ease of coordination of training for the intercounty task force. “The basic premise of training has changed,” said Russell. “We can create the scenarios that push our crews to an incredible limit. Now, something that was tough in training doesn’t seem as tough in a real situation because we practice it more often. We are more proficient in all areas because of our building. We are better at the basics, from hose line advancement to operating off a ladder. The ability to train as often as we want has contributed to improvements in all areas.”
CREATING SAFER FIRE FIGHTERS AND COMMUNITIES
The Colorado River Fire Rescue in Rifle, Co. provides fire, EMS, hazardous materials and rescue response to 851 square miles. It consists of two unstaffed stations, four staffed stations and an interagency fire station that it shares with the I.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. With such a massive region to protect and serve, coordination among the stations and its government agency partners is critical. As a result, training was paramount in planning the newest station in New Castle, Colorado. CR’s Training By Design Program focused on integrating solutions that increase staff efficiency and training opportunities, reduce down time and injuries, and improve volunteer recruitment within the new 14,800 square foot station. “The biggest thing for us is the ability to train closely with search and rescue,” Jason Clark, Training Coordinator for Colorado River Fire Authority. “Our facility with its anchor systems, low-angle rappelling, aerial operations from the tower, confined space entry and other props allow us to conduct specialized training together throughout the year. This strengthens our relationship and builds a more cohesive, professional team. Ten years ago, this type of interagency teamwork and training would not have happened. Because we have made training a priority at our facilities, our crews are better and our communities are safer.” Clark added, “From the time I was hired on a fire department and went through the fire academy to today, there have been many changes in the way we train. I remember the first day of the Fire Academy, the instructor’s encouraged us to pick up any old couches or other furniture and bring them on live burn days to put in the
N E W C A S T L E S TAT I O N
OVERALL BUDGET
$
4.5mil
COST OF ADDING FEATURES
$
175,000
3.9% PERCENTAGE OF BUDGET
STATION 64 WAS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT ON-SITE TRAINING INCLUDING REAPELLING, LADDER TRAINING, CONFINED SPACE TRAINING AND MORE.
EVERYWHERE. burn building. We were taught that no matter what, we always go in and fight the fire. There was no thinking involved. Today, we have the programs and facilities to train our firefighters to be thinking firefighters and to embrace the scientific facts provided by UL and NIST in their research and testing. We follow strict standards such as NFPA 1403, which are put in place to provide firefighter safety during training and at in the field.”
SAFETY IN TRAINING
Fire departments must continually train personnel to increase performance and efficiencies, and make each firefighter safer and more effective. Nothing improves firefighters’ skills better than training scenarios they are likely to face during an emergency call. Training By Design is a crew-and-community-focused customizable program that eliminates the challenges of recreating real-work situations with flexible on-site training environments that are both adaptable and fit the station footprint. “A lot has changed the last 15-20 years that have impacted firefighter training, from technology and science, to education, physical fitness and the general improvement of the equipment we use,” said Clark. “The main thing that all these improvements point to, including implementing training as part of facility design, is there is safety in training. Training By Design was an investment in my current team and the future of my department and community.” The unique needs of these three stations from Colorado, Indiana and Ohio challenged CR to create a system that can appropriately assess, address and provide solutions to a large range of issues emergency responders face today. Each profiled station shows how Training By Design benefits far outweigh the cost, especially when considering how quickly on-site training pays for itself. The program completely changes how departments approach training; maximizing available space and increasing the volume and variety of ways firefighters and their local partners can master their preparation. Ultimately, adding on-site training makes firefighters better and their communities safer.
KEEP GOING. Contact us at 800.469.4949 or www.cr-architects.com to continue the coversation and discuss your unique challenges.
“TRAINING BY DESIGN WAS AN INVESTMENT IN MY CURRENT TEAM AND THE FUTURE OF MY DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY.”
W C E T B