By Cimaron Neugebauer
The Salt Lake Tribune
SALT LAKE CITY — Firefighters from around Salt Lake County packed around 65 pounds of gear per person up four flights of stairs into the former Barnes Bank building in downtown Salt Lake City Tuesday afternoon.
Loaded down with axes, chain saws, air tanks, rubbish hooks and hoses, they were drilling in preparation for when a real high-rise fire happens.
Battalion chiefs and firefighters from 10 different agencies in the valley shouted orders directing crews to different parts of the building, located at 431 S. 300 East, while rushing up several flights of stairs.
The scenario and commands were real; the only thing missing was the fire. Salt Lake City Fire Captain Michael Harp said the training drill was the first of four phases aimed to create a better county-wide high-rise fire plan. All four phases are scheduled to be completed for all responders late next year.
More than 50 firefighters out of roughly 400 that were on duty throughout the valley participated in the drill.
“We want the public to know we are prepared to mitigate any kind of emergency,” Harp said Tuesday. "[The drill] is refining the policy ... so everyone is on the same page.”
After the fire drill, firefighters met to briefly discuss questions or concerns while performing the drill and then went back in the building, located adjacent to the site of the new Public Safety Building, and up to the fourth floor to do one more drill.
Unified Fire Training Battalion Chief Greg Reynolds explained to firefighters prior to the drill that each battalion chief will have a laminated card, which they keep with them, that details what crews are supposed to do once they arrive on scene during an actual fire.
Each responder will eventually also have a kit that contains the correct size of hoses and couplings and equipment needed to fight the fire. Reynolds said it was important that all crews have the same type of equipment so they can share resources when needed.
The same type of tactics used for fighting fires in high-rises could also apply to more than just multi-level buildings, such as to big box retail stores like IKEA, Reynolds said.
West Valley Fire Capt. Brent Hobbs said if Salt Lake City did actually have a high-rise fire, it would require pulling man-power from nearly every agency in the Salt Lake valley, so it is only fitting they all train together.
Hobbs said getting together with other agencies for a training is something that not only helps to explain expectations for everyone, but it is also a chance to build familiarity between those giving commands from different agencies.
“When we train like this it makes it so I’m not coming in cold. We have already done something that we know needs to be done, and I know my assignment,” Hobbs said.
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