St. Margaret's Lends Use of Building for Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department Training

Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357 (w); 804-443-2703 (h)
Fax: 804-443-6781

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SMS Lends Use of Building for Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department Training

On February 6, 25 - 30 Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Deparment (TEVFD) members participated in a simulation fire training drill on the St. Margaret's School campus. Business Manager Nancy Smith and the school's administrative cabinet approved use of the school's science lab building for Saturday's training drill. "We look for opportunities to involve the local community in the life of St. Margaret's School as much as we can. We are very supportive of Chief Richardson, Deputy Chief Lankford, and the local volunteers of the fire department team. Whether to permit use of the building was more a formality to ensure safety, than a decision. This was just one small way we were able to help," says Smith.

Deputy Chief Stanley Lankford ( r.) discusses fire procedures with Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department new recruits in front of the St. Margaret's School campus off Water Lane in Tappahannock.

The TEVFD's handling of the Texaco station fire off route 17 near Jeannette Drive a few weeks ago is one example of how properly trained firefighters can turn potentially disastrous fire scares into nonevents. "Well, nonevents do not happen by accident. We have to train our volunteers to be prepared for all scenarios at all times," says Chief Richardson. St. Margaret's science lab, built in 1961, was torn down on Monday, February 8 as construction commenced for the school's Community/Technology Center, a state-of-the-art science facility planned for the 1999-2000 school year. The new building, built on SMS' last riverfront building site, will house science and technology classrooms as well as a new dining facility.

Meanwhile, the school will complete the year housing its science classes in double-wide trailers, called "mobile classrooms" by those at St. Margaret's. Deputy Chief Lankford incorporated a myriad of topics into the two-and-a-half hour training session-forced entry, search and rescue, ventilation, safety, radio placement/communication, and special situations were discussed. In addition, the practice drills allowed the team to practice strategy along the Rappahannock river, hookup and use of the fire hydrants and hoses, and group discussion of various what-if scenarios.

"The science lab building offers a lot of benefits for the purpose of our drill," said Lankford. "The building is safe, structurally sound with good access points, and allows us to practice hookups to a nearby hydrant on Water Lane. We have several new recruits who have been with us less than thirty days and it is really important they get this kind of training." New recruits William Andrews, James Carey, Alan Davis, Kevin Dech, Archie Johnson, and Jay Mitchell practiced a victim search using the new building. Two teams of three covered both sides of the building looking for a "hidden" victim. Veteran team members assisted and provided critique of the teams' execution. A machine, placed inside the building, was used to fill the rooms with a non-toxic gas "smoke" for the recruits' practice runs. "When your hand is 12 inches in front of your face, but you can't see it because of the smoke, you really have to rely on every member of your team to properly navigate the building," said one recruit.

One of Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department's new recruits exits a smoky St. Margaret's science lab used for a simulated fire safety drill on Saturday, February 6.

After the victim search, Deputy Chief Lankford and Chief Richardson re-grouped their men to discuss the practice runs. "These are drills. We practice and we learn," said Lankford. "One group had trouble finding the victim, another dragged 50 feet of hose in but only needed 20. It is more important that we learned from the experience. Different scenarios are going to call for different things-next time will be completely different." Richardson and Lankford plan to follow up Saturday's drill with a classroom segment that will include review of forceable entry, window procedures, working together in a buddy system, ventilation techniques, hydration, and roll call procedures for those on scene.

"It was a very useful and necessary training session for the new volunteers. We owe St. Margaret's thanks for the opportunity to use their facilities for this purpose," said Lankford.

In 1996, the TEVFD comprised 45 trained Emergency Medical Technicians, two mini pumpers, one tanker, one hazardous materials truck, three pumpers, a utility truck, and an automobile. The squad and its core group of volunteers have grown since. Most of the department's support money comes from local governments, fund raisers, private donations, and grants.