HomePublic SafetySalem Firefighters Battalion 2 Hosts Training Burn Exercise

Salem Firefighters Battalion 2 Hosts Training Burn Exercise

Published on

By

Town of Salem, NH

On Friday, October 4, Salem Firefighters from Battalion 2 (Group 2) trained on fire behavior, reading, smoke, flow path, and understanding the modern fire environment. The purpose of the training was to better understand how fires in modern structures burn.

The training was a joint effort between Battalion Chief Paul Balentine and Lt. Gerald Mackey. The training began with a PowerPoint and discussion on the above topics, followed by live fire training with a prop aptly named, “the doll house.”

The prop was set on fire and different theories related to fire behavior, smoke conditions, flow paths, and ventilation options are demonstrated in real time. The demonstration is conducted on a small scale, so it is easy to illustrate in front of an audience of firefighters.

Fires in the modern day burn differently due to the construction methods of modern homes along with modern furnishings which are comprised of synthetic materials which have different, much higher heat release rates than “legacy” home furnishings. In the modern fire environment, a room transitions to “flashover” in as little as 3 ½ minutes, whereas the legacy room doesn’t flashover for 29 ½ minutes. Flashover is the point in the room where everything ignites at once and survivability is zero even for firefighters with proper firefighting PPE.

The Salem Fire Department emphasizes the importance of having working smoke detectors on every level of your home, outside the bedrooms, and inside every bedroom. We also strongly encourage homeowners to have CO detectors on every level of the home. If you have a fire in your home, get out, stay out, call 911 from outside/a neighbor’s house.

Latest Posts

Salem CTE Program, Fire and Police Departments Team Up for Mock Mass Casualty Incident at SHS

The Salem CTE Program, along with Salem Fire and Salem Police teamed up for...

2025 Water Meter Interface Unit Replacement Program

Utilities Director Fred Wallace, describes the Water Meter Interface Unit replacement program. The staff...

Salem’s 2025 Police Memorial Ceremony at Pine Grove Cemetery

A few weeks ago, the Salem Police Department held their 2025 Memorial Ceremony to...

Update on Police Station – May 2025

Salem Police Chief Joel Dolan provides an update on the new Police Station as...

More like this

2025 Water Meter Interface Unit Replacement Program

Utilities Director Fred Wallace, describes the Water Meter Interface Unit replacement program. The staff...

Salem’s 2025 Police Memorial Ceremony at Pine Grove Cemetery

A few weeks ago, the Salem Police Department held their 2025 Memorial Ceremony to...

Update on Police Station – May 2025

Salem Police Chief Joel Dolan provides an update on the new Police Station as...