How to Ensure Fire Training Facility Safety

By Kevin Geidel, Onondaga Community College

The fire protection industry has been tracking structure fire statistics for over four decades. Fire remains a serious problem in our country. But, the annual number of building fires has been holding steady after a significant decline in the 1980s to early 2000s.

This is good news. The bad news is the fire service is presented with fewer “on-the-job” training opportunities than in the past.

Once upon a time, so-called acquired structures were relatively easy to come by. Fire departments would set staged fires in these abandoned structures for training purposes. Over time, environmental concerns, community objections and liability issues made these acquired structures more complicated and less attractive to use. Some fire departments transitioned from acquired structures to dedicated, permanent fire training facilities.

However, several occurrences of live-fire training evolutions “gone wrong” resulted in serious firefighter injuries and fatalities. No one should ever become a casualty for the sake of training. In response to a fatal training fire, the National Fire Protection Association issued NFPA 1403, Live Fire Training Evolutions in Structures in 1986. Later editions incorporated other training-related NFPA standards into a single document and the current “Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions” was created.

Whether using acquired or dedicated facilities, live-fire training must be conducted in a controlled and safe environment. NFPA 1403 prescribes minimum requirements for conducting livefire training. NFPA 1403 not only outlines the training process, but also specifies certain required equipment and personnel and procedures. The standard also provides guidance on routine inspection and maintenance of live-fire training facilities and props.

For example, the structural integrity of a non-gas-fired training structure must be evaluated and documented by a licensed professional engineer at least once every five (5) years. For calcium aluminate refractory structural concrete, the minimum inspection interval is three (3) years. For a gas-fired training structure, the minimum inspection frequency is 10 years.

The required structural evaluation includes the inspection of conditions hidden behind a representative area of the thermal lining and core samples in concrete facilities to check for delamination. Instructors are required to perform visual inspections of the facility including building components and accessories, document and damage and notify the building owner or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). If severe damage is noted, training is to be prohibited. In addition, the building owner or the AHJ are required to evaluate and document the structural integrity of the facility annually.

NFPA 1403 guidance has evolved in recent years as data and experience related to live-fire training and safety have improved. What is the owner or AHJ evaluating? What constitutes severe damage? Does owning a live-fire training facility require you to become a structural engineer? Of course not. The 2018 edition of NFPA 1403 includes an example live-fire training facility inspection form. This form (edited for your facility) used in conjunction with a well-developed live fire training facility inspection program can provide the necessary information to ensure your live-fire training facility will continue to provide safe effective training for your firefighters between documented evaluation by a licensed professional engineer.

Structural integrity is but one issue addressed by the NFPA 1403 standard. Students and instructors alike must meet certain required training levels to ensure minimum competency to operate in an IDLH environment. Prior to being allowed to participate in live-fire training, participants must receive instruction in fire dynamics, fundamentals of fire behavior and fire development in a compartment. These prerequisites allow students to recognize the dangers associated with a compartment fire. Personal protective clothing, firefighting water supplies and permitted fuel materials are examples of compliance considerations in live-fire training.

Communications and a well-defined organizational chain of command are also essential. Remember, students are ‘beginners’ and should never be exposed to situations beyond their level of training. Whether you are the instructor, the instructed or the owner/AHJ, understanding training facilities and how to care for them is imperative to providing a safe learning and working environment.

Next time you are doing a live-fire training evolution, reference NFPA 1403 to determine which requirements may apply to ensure your safety inside the live-fire training facility. The Fire Protection Technology Program at Onondaga Community College prepares students for a career as a fire protection professional. Students are exposed to the science, technology, engineering and math concepts demanded by the modern fire service and other rewarding fields within the fire protection industry.

Kevin Geidel is a fire protection engineer and Program Coordinator at Onondaga Community College.