Trainingphotos

STEVE BARGAS, CHIEF

TRAINING

Training is a large part of being a volunteer firefighter with the Jefferson-Como Fire Protection District. There are many demands on a volunteer's time. The commitment to JCFPD is an enormous responsibility for any one volunteer. Various certifications are required that involve spending many classroom and practical hours. Additionally, the techniques required in firefighting must be learned and practiced. The skills that must be learned and mastered are numerous.

A volunteer firefighter in JCFPD learns how to participate in fire ground activities, is trained in emergency preparedness, and unique to our area, must also learn to draft water since we are not equipped with fire hydrants. Many of the JCFPD volunteers also become certified in wildland fire fighting, another skill that might not be required of a fire fighter on a fire department in a city.

Additionally, many of the 911 calls received by JCFPD are for automobile accidents. All volunteers are required to become Emergency First Responders, and to qualify in CPR Certification. Extrication to aid accident victims pinned into vehicles is another skill learned and practiced by volunteers.

All of the aspects of training are too numerous to mention here, but perhaps this gives you a small idea of all of the demands placed on the volunteers. The images below are a photos taken at training sessions.

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE BELOW TO SEE AN ENLARGED VIEW

PROPANE TANK FIRE

TRAINING

HAVE YOU EVER GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND HOW YOU WOULD FEEL IF YOU LOOKED OUTSIDE YOUR HOME AND SAW YOUR PROPANE TANK ENGULFED IN FLAMES? THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS PROBABLY NO. PAUSE FOR A MINUTE AND GIVE THIS SOME THOUGHT. YOU SHOULD, OF COURSE, GET AS FAR AWAY FROM THE TANK AS YOU CAN, AS FAST AS YOU CAN. ONCE YOU HAVE SAFELY REMOVED YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY FROM THE AREA, GO SOMEWHERE AND DIAL 911.

A PROPANE TANK IS LIKE A BOMB IN MANY WAYS. AS THE LIQUID PROPANE INSIDE OF THE TANK HEATS UP FROM THE FIRE, IT FORMS AN EVER EXPANDING GAS. AT SOME CRITICAL POINT, THIS GAS WILL CAUSE THE TANK ITSELF TO EXPLODE WITH DRASTIC REPERCUSSIONS.

IN THE PHOTO ABOVE, TAKEN DURING A DIFFERENT TRAINING EXERCISE LAST YEAR, THE CONTENTS OF A 100 GALLON CYLINDER OF PROPANE WAS PLACED INTO THE HOUSE ABOVE AND IGNITED. THE HOUSE WAS REDUCED TO A PILE OF RUBBLE. (ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THIS TRAINING CAN BE FOUND NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.)

PROPANE AND PROPANE TANK FIRES ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS. ON A RECENT SUNDAY WHILE YOU WERE PERHAPS AT CHURCH, WATCHING GOLF ON TV, FISHING, OR IN SOME OTHER WAY SPENDING A LEISURELY SUNDAY, THE VOLUNTEERS OF JCFPD SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY TRAINING TO PROTECT YOU AND YOUR DISTRICT PROPERTY FROM POSSIBLE RUIN FROM A PROPANE FIRE. THE DAY STARTS WITH A FEW HOURS OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.

AFTER CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION IS GIVEN AND EVERYONE HAS BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE PARTS OF THE PROPANE TANK IT IS TIME TO SET UP FOR THE TRAINING EXERCISES.

HOSES ARE LAID OUT, WATER IS PUMPED AND STORED, PROPANE LINES TO THE TANK TO USED ARE ALL SET UP.

EVERYONE IS GOOD TO GO.

EVERYONE IS GIVEN FINAL INSTRUCTIONS AS THE PROPANE IS IGNITED.

A LITTLE PRACTICE WITH THE HOSE, PRACTICE THE FORMATION, AND THEN IT IS TIME TO BEGIN.

THERE ARE SEVERAL PHOTOS ABOVE WHICH SHOW A PROCESS. TO SIMPLIFY, FIVE FIREFIGHTERS WALK TOWARD THE INFLAMED TANK WITH TWO HOSES. THE CENTER PERSON IN THE FORMATION TURNS OFF THE VALVE ON THE TANK WHEN THE TANK IS REACHED. THE OTHER FOUR FIREFIGHTERS, TWO ON EACH SIDE OF THE CENTER PERSON, MANAGE THE HOSES. THERE ARE ALSO FIREFIGHTERS BEHIND THIS GROUP MANAGING THE HOSES. THE GROUP MOVES IN UNISON QUITE CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY. THIS WOULD NOT BE A GOOD TRIP TO LOSE YOUR FOOTING. ONCE THE FIRST GROUP OF FIVE HAS EXTINGUISHED THE TANK FIRE, THE EXERCISE IS REPEATED WITH OTHER GROUPS OF FIREFIGHTERS. THIS CYCLE IS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE TRAINING.

THE TRAINING IS FINISHED AND EVERYONE IS SAFE AND SOUND. IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY, BUT EVERYONE IS BETTER OFF FOR THE EXPERIENCE.

NOW IT IS TIME TO REFILL THE TANKER TRUCKS, CLEAN THE EQUIPMENT, AND PUT ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT BACK IN ITS PROPER PLACE. IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY CALL. AND IF DO YOU CALL, THE VOLUNTEERS WILL BE THERE FOR YOU ON THIS OR ANY OTHER DAY. AREN'T THEY GREAT!

THE TWO MEN PICTURED ABOVE ARE PART OF THE THREE MAN TEAM THAT CONDUCTED THE TRAINING EXERCISE. THE MAN ON THE LEFT IS MANAGING THE PROPANE LINE THAT FEEDS THE FLAME. HE IS DRESSED TO DEAL WITH AN EMERGENCY IF NECESSARY. THE PROPANE TANK IN THE EXERCISE IS A PROP AND IS NOT ACTUALLY ON FIRE. THE PROPANE IS COMING FROM A HOSE SUPPLIED BY A TANKER. THE MAN STANDING AT THE TRUCK CAN CUT OFF THE PROPANE TO THE LINE IF NECESSARY. A SIMULATED SITUATION IS REQUIRED TO TEACH AND/OR PRACTICE THE TECHNIQUES REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH A PROPANE TANK THAT IS ON FIRE WITHOUT SERIOUSLY ENDANGERING THE FIREFIGHTERS ANY MORE THAN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

THE SMALLER PERSON IN THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT, EMMA BARGAS. IS A PART OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S TEAM.

EXTRICATION

The dictionary definition of extrication is, "

"to free or remove from an entanglement or difficulty."

The average person has probably not given much thought to the problems of extrication. Hopefully, you will never be faced with worrying about how you might be "extricated" from a given situation. Unfortunately, this problem is a very real one for some people. There are numerous possibilities including fires, explosions and various types of accidents that might require extrication equipment and the knowledgeable use of that equipment to free someone trapped in, under or behind various materials.

Individuals are sometimes trapped in vehicles following automobile accidents. The volunteers of Jefferson-Como Fire Protection District have to be prepared on a moment's notice to solve complicated feats of extrication commonly coupled with medical problems. Since no one can predict the exact requirements of any particular extrication task, many potential scenarios are practiced. The use of specialized equipment is necessary to successfully perform this task. When emergency personnel arrive at the scene of an accident, it is an absolute necessity to have the necessary equipment on hand and to know how to use that equipment effectively. Time is of the essence in these situations. Delays can cost valuable seconds, or minutes, necessary to the survival of an injured person.

JCFPD trains volunteers in extrication so that they will be prepared to use the equipment that is available to them using wrecked automobiles that have been provided for their use. You may have seen the wrecked or old automobiles accumulating on the property of Station 5 awaiting one of these trainings. You may have even complained about the presence of the cars. We accumulate the vehicles as we have the opportunity to acquire them and then have a training when a sufficient number of the vehicles are available for our purposes. As soon after the training as possible, the vehicles are removed from the premises. The volunteers have had valuable experience in training for extrication and otherwise unusable old vehicles have served a valuable purpose.

The final result is that if you, or someone that you love, is ever in need of being extricated in JCFPD, you can be assured that the volunteers that show up in response to your call for help will have been trained in the use of extrication equipment.

THE EXTRICATION PHOTOS BELOW WERE TAKEN AT A TRAINING SESSION HELD ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 8, 2005 AT STATION 5 . (YES, WE KNOW THAT IT IS COLD AT NIGHT IN EARLY MARCH IN THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS, BUT YOU SHOULD TRY THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER.) FOR CLARITY, THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE VEHICLES BEING WORKED ON BY THREE DIFFERENT TEAMS. THIS TRAINING WAS CONDUCTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH NORTHWEST FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT FROM FAIRPLAY

IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2005, JCFPD HELD TRAINING SESSIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH NORTHWEST FIRE DISTRICT IN FAIRPLAY

FIRE FIGHTER 1 SKILLS WERE TAUGHT

THIS REQUIRED CERTIFICATION INVOLVES A SERIES OF TRAINING DAYS

LEARNING TO PROPERLY WEAR BUNKER GEAR IN ORDER TO ADEQUATELY PROTECT ONESELF IS A PART OF THE TRAINING.

Trainees are blindfolded to simulate the visual conditions that they might encounter in a smoke filled structure. Then they are required to navigate safely through an obstacle course that has been set up.

IF YOU ARE A FIRE FIGHTER, YOUR LIFE CAN DEPEND ON YOUR ABILITY TO TIE A SECURE KNOT THAT WILL SUPPORT YOUR WEIGHT AND POSSIBLY THE WEIGHT OF ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. LEARNING TO TIE THE VARIOUS TYPES ON KNOTS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED IS VITAL

OF COURSE, THERE IS PAPER WORK TOO!

CPR TRAINING IS IMPORTANT FOR JCFPD

CERTIFICATION IN THIS SKILL IS REQUIRED

AND MORE PAPER WORK IS NEEDED

DID WE MENTION THAT YOU NEED TO BE IN EXCELLENT PHYSICAL CONDITION TO PERFORM THE TASKS REQUIRED OF A FIREFIGHTER? VOLUNTEERS ARE CALLED UPON TO WORK VERY HARD PHYSICALLY FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME USING, WEARING, AND CARRYING HEAVY TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT. GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION IS NEEDED.

Training Summer 2004

T U V

W X Y

B C D

E F G

H I J

K L M

Clicking on the photo below will open an extremely large photo (698 KB) of the house exploding.

N O P

Q R S

IF YOU THINK BEING A VOLUNTEER IS HARD WORK YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT IT IS NOT ALL BAD. THERE IS A GREAT SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT THAT COMES FROM HELPING OTHERS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED..

Contact Information

In case of emergency call: 911

JCFPD Business Telephone

1-719-836-3244 If you get no answer and do nor get the answering machine call the second line.
1-719-836-2082 The primary line sometimes does not work please also try this number.

Fax

1-719-836-3244


Postal Address

P.O. Box 380: Como, Colorado 80432-0380

Physical Address of Business Offices: Station 5
20200 County Road 15
Approximately 4 miles East of Highway 285 on County Road 15
Electronic mail*: General Information: chiefbargas@jcfpd.org
Bookkeeping: kim@jcfpd.org
Webmaster: webmaster@jcfpd.org

*We do require that all email correspondence be signed with the first and last names of the correspondent(s), and that the location of Jefferson-Como Fire Protection District property owned by the correspondent be identified by Lot, Block, Subdivision and address, if applicable. We will reply to properly identified messages as time permits.

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Send mail with questions or comments about this web site to webmaster@jcfpd.org Information provided is based on the best of our knowledge at this time, but is not guaranteed to be correct. Please check with Chief Bargas before relying heavily on any of this information. This website is being created by Liz McKay who appreciates your kind comments and suggestions. Copyright © 2005