Firefighting & Rescue Social / Professional Network
Try this drill...
We have several parks and schools in our district, and we started using the playground equipment as a training tool. The bigger the better.
We'll find a starting point and anchor about 200' of utility rope to it. Then we run the rope all throughout the equipment. Up a slide, down a slide, around objects and under them. This is only limited by your imagination and the size of the playground.
Try to find things that you can run the rope under that will require the member to don and doff their airpack. Also - alot of playgrounds have the little areas that are like some type of room or something with an opening that simulates a window. Run the rope through there.
Cover the masks of the members (use Glad "press-n-Seal" over the mask - it works the best) and send them through the playground, following the rope.
You'll be surprised that no matter how long they stand around and watch you string the rope through, they still get turned around or run into problems.
The other great thing is that when you go back another time to do it again, you run the rope through a different way and it's an entirely different drill.
I'll caution you on one thing though - We ran one that had about a 4' drop on it. It's not a long fall, and the members liked it because it really tested them, but you don't want anyone to get hurt so if you encounter something like this use a spotter or two.
Give it a try. It's easy and it works.
Have fun with it, and Stay Safe Brothers and Sisters.
We'll find a starting point and anchor about 200' of utility rope to it. Then we run the rope all throughout the equipment. Up a slide, down a slide, around objects and under them. This is only limited by your imagination and the size of the playground.
Try to find things that you can run the rope under that will require the member to don and doff their airpack. Also - alot of playgrounds have the little areas that are like some type of room or something with an opening that simulates a window. Run the rope through there.
Cover the masks of the members (use Glad "press-n-Seal" over the mask - it works the best) and send them through the playground, following the rope.
You'll be surprised that no matter how long they stand around and watch you string the rope through, they still get turned around or run into problems.
The other great thing is that when you go back another time to do it again, you run the rope through a different way and it's an entirely different drill.
I'll caution you on one thing though - We ran one that had about a 4' drop on it. It's not a long fall, and the members liked it because it really tested them, but you don't want anyone to get hurt so if you encounter something like this use a spotter or two.
Give it a try. It's easy and it works.
Have fun with it, and Stay Safe Brothers and Sisters.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by N. Abbott on -
The Glad "press -n- seal", it doesn't mark up the face piece? and what kind of SCBA's do you use?
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Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on -
We use Draeger. How would Glad press-n-seal mark up a face piece? It's basically a form of seran wrap... I've never had any problems with it. You stick it on and it peels right off. Try it and see.
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Permalink Reply by Hyre313 on -
Yes, I tried it and it's great. this drill is nice and simple. Thanks for the tip. By the way the press and seal is pretty effective to.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Bates on -
I love this idea, thanks for the tip
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Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on
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Right on. Have fun and let me know what you think...
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Permalink Reply by Thomas Hoff on -
we use wax paper
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Permalink Reply by Christian on -
I didn't know that the press and seal came in anything but clear. Is the a particular color you use or prefer? Talk about a cheap training tool. I like that.
We have actually done the playground before, but the rope would be a different idea. The newer playgrounds make a dynamic maze. And imagination only increases the potential. We have used the swinging bridges to simulate soft floors. Pushing on it with a tool or a limb and it gives a bit. any member who just went out on the bridge without checking we pulled out and had them start over, after a couple of tries the guys got the idea to check ahead of them.
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Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on
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Actually the press-n-seal is kind of a grayish color. It's not really clear. One layer will obscure the vision through the mask, but we use two.
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Permalink Reply by Christian on
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We did this drill the other day. The guys loved it. I wish I had more rope though, I would have liked to make it a little longer. And going through the tight spots turned up one guy who got closterphobic. Rather find out there.
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Permalink Reply by Engine 32 Capt. on
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We carry three bags of 150' utility rope. To make a maze longer, we'll just mate the ropes together and continue on (i.e. a couple of figure 8's and a carabiner).
Just use your imagination. Another thing you can do if you don't have enough rope is to make the members exit when their low air alarms sound. You can almost double your rope length by doing that.
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Permalink Reply by Christian on
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I like that exit idea. We had the guys crawl under the playground equipment, then where the rop ended I had them climb on to the equipment and go through the maze. It takes a couple of spotters to watch the area so they don't crawl off (which if they check the floor, they won't - but safety first). I also used the new traffic wands we got. They flash either red or blue to simulate flames and electrical arching. That worked out well once I told the first guy who crawled into an open flame that he was dead. After that guys started using their heads more.
Sometimes with this type of drill, I have found that the guys will over think because they know they are not in a building, other times they under think for the same reason. The officer really has to be right there and tell them what they are feeling, what the situation is at each point other wise they just go in and out and don't accomplish much.
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