Training to handle volatile liquids

Firefighters and training staff from Cloverdale and Sisters-Camp Sherman fire districts met in the Sisters High School parking lot on Monday evening, July 17, to train on some of the most dangerous aspects of their profession.

The training was designed to refresh old hands and train newer recruits on the correct and safe methods of attacking and extinguishing fires that are burning flammable liquids or gases for fuel - such as propane or gasoline.

Trainers and training props were provided by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). Trainers from the Black Butte Ranch and Redmond fire districts assisted the instructors from DPSST. Props consisted of a propane tank, a gas meter, and a large tray, to simulate various types of liquid or gas fires.

All training was completed using propane as the fuel to minimize environmental impact. Cloverdale and Sisters-Camp Sherman firefighters spent several hours working as teams of six to eight to learn to control these types of fires.

Deputy Chief Tim Craig of Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District said that they need be prepared to fight these types of fires with the number of hazardous material cargo trucks, fuel stations, and propane tanks in our fire

districts.

Fire Chief Thad Olsen of the Cloverdale Fire District said that interagency training is extremely important for our agencies as they work together on many of their calls.

"We have to be able to integrate our operations so that when personnel from each agency show up, they can work together seamlessly to resolve the problem at hand," he said.

Firefighters from the Black Butte Ranch, Cloverdale, and Sisters-Camp Sherman districts regularly train and operate together to provide the best services possible to local communities.