Flammable Liquids and Gas (FLAG) Training
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View photos from the training.
On Saturday, April 17th, the Butler Community Volunteer Fire Department hosted FLAG training conducted by the State Fire Commission. This very informative class highlighted the properties of propane gas and the response actions to take during a propane emergency.
The instructor team brought a propane tank mock-up…a specialized training aid that enabled hands-on training in dealing with the intense heat and flame that a breached tank could produce. Class attendees included members from all three of the County’s Fire Departments (Butler, Falmouth and Northern Pendleton) along with Pendleton County Emergency Management.
The day started out with classroom instruction on all aspects of propane gas. In the afternoon, firefighters geared up and were provided a fiery demonstration and training on how to respond to a propane tank emergency. Teams from all three departments were formed and then taught tactics on how to approach the tank in concert with one another, where to direct the water and how to extract a victim.
By the end of the day, firefighters were able to take on various team roles and experience the training from different perspectives. There are a variety of propane hazards in the county and everyone there got to be part of an outstanding training opportunity that will be valuable in dealing with a propane emergency should one occur.
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Community Partners Made It Possible |
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The event was a total team effort, including our community partners. It could not have taken place without the involvement of Flour Creek Christian Church, the Pendleton County School system, and Midwest Gas, Empire Gas, and Paul Tuemler Gas companies. Flour Creek Christian Church provided the first responders classroom space for the morning session in their Community Center…a superb, top notch facility that offered plenty of room for instruction and teaching demonstrations.
The Pendleton County School system provided a location to conduct the outdoor portion of the training.
And most importantly, without numerous gallons of propane gas to feed the tank mock-up, realistic hands-on training would not be impossible.
Three businesses, Midwest Gas, Empire Gas and Paul Tuemler Gas, enabled this realism by generously donating all the propane needed to fuel the mock-up. The participation and strong support to our fire services from these community partners made the training possible, contributing to well prepared emergency responders ready to face a propane emergency anywhere in the county.
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