Buffalo Street Houses Used For Firefighter Rescue Drill Training
Buffalo Street Houses Used For Firefighter Rescue Drill Training
Posted
Dan Spalding-dspalding@timesuniononline.com
Buffalo Street Houses Used For Firefighter Rescue Drill TrainingTwo homes on North Buffalo Street in Warsaw that are set for demolition were used Monday for rescue drills by firefighters.
The vacant houses are being removed ahead of the Buffalo Street redevelopment project.
But on Monday, members of a regional fire training group, that includes crews as far north as Niles, Mich., took the opportunity to practice rescue operations involving collapsed structures.
An excavator on Sunday was used to partially collapse parts of the roof at 313 N. Buffalo St. and another house two lots to the north, said Aaron Bolinger, battalion chief for Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory.
On Monday, firefighters from Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart and elsewhere then practiced the steps necessary to reinforce parts of the structures to allow emergency personnel a chance to remove debris and free “dummies” trapped in the wreckage.
The training involves groups working inside the buildings and others outside who cut and prepare wood braces used to shore up parts of the building, Bolinger said.
Preparation for such circumstances are needed when responding to earthquakes and tornadoes, and – more commonly – when vehicles crash into buildings.
Frigid conditions didn’t seem to slow things down.
“Anytime we have a chance to train under realistic conditions – great opportunity – even though it’s 10 degrees,” Bolinger said.
The two houses and several other houses and structures will be removed in coming weeks ahead of construction that is expected to begin later this year.
The mixed use development is being overseen by Matthews LLC, South Bend.
