The photo above shows crew in action extinguishing a flammable gas fire, two hose lines work in tandem to provide the required level to protection need to safely handle this type of emergency.

The Training Division has been busy over the summer months at the Fire Department. Along with in-house company drills that are part of everyday activities, a strong emphasis is put on joint training with the Biddeford Fire Department. As the Saco Fire Departments call volume increases yearly, the mutual aid agreement with the Biddeford Fire Department becomes an important tool, used to provide quality service to our customers, the citizens of Saco. The plan for the two departments to be "more alike than different "allows us to work more effectively together at emergencies, and by putting more personnel on scene it gives the department the ability to offer a better product to the taxpayer and greatly enhances Firefighter safety.

Early in the summer months the two departments had a joint training on airbags and stabilization equipment. The equipment can be used at everything from car accidents, to trench rescues, to stabilizing structures after being weakened from fire or other causes of damage. The two departments have the exact same equipment allowing us to work together seamlessly.

We then trained together in below grade rescue working in deep manholes simulating the removal of an injured worker. This required the use of gas monitoring equipment, hoisting devises, and safe patient packaging and removal. Our crew's then met and trained on LPG fires, with the help of Dead River Company we were able to apply specific techniques dealing with extinguishing gas driven fires.

Later in the summer we moved on to rope rescue, first at the Sterling Rope Training Facility in Biddeford to refresh our skills, and then moving on to the more challenging site of the smoke stack at MERC to simulate removing an injured worker from height.

Most recently we worked closely with the Biddeford Fire Department in training with, and evaluating different equipment and techniques for fire suppression activities in structures with standpipes and sprinkler systems. Standpipes are internal plumbing systems allowing water to be accessed from inside a structure far from Fire Department personnel's point of entry. The training was a great success which re-enforced skills already known and the knowledge to avoid some knew found pitfalls in the future.

With Fall/Winter quickly approaching Ice rescue and cold weather emergencies are surely on the training schedule and the joint training with neighboring communities continuing, it will be another busy season for the members of the Fire Department.

Above are photos of a joint training operation between Saco and Biddeford Fire Departments. Crews work together utilizing manpower and equipment from both departments to meet the objectives of removing a victim from an elevated area not accessible with an aerial ladder.