Caddo Fire District 4 brings the heat with live fire training

KEITHVILLE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Caddo Fire District Four conducted live fire training in two vacant structures that were donated by the community.

“We’re able to just go in here and really hone in on our search and rescue skills. Number one is us being able to get inside, find a potential victim if there are any in there, and to make sure that’s number one priority. And then you know second comes saving property as well,” said Nick Morton, a firefighter paramedic with Caddo Fire District Four.

Firefighters with the district say the way buildings burn and the way fire moves is ever changing, so training is vital.

Joshua Gamble, a firefighter paramedic with Caddo Fire District Four and lead for the training said, “this gives them a different layout they’re not used to and things like that. You get to see a little bit of different fire behavior, the building breathe and the way it reacts to the fire itself and gives a good opportunity for new guys and our old guys to spice up training a little bit.”

The burning site served as a training ground for thermal cameras which were aquired by a Firehouse Subs Grant.

Caddo Fire District Four says they are one of the only regional areas that gives a camera to every fireman in the department.

“Those are an indispensable tool to help us with finding the fire itself, the heat that were involved in, and actually making rescues for our community, it makes us a little bit faster and a little bit more productive because we’re able to see through that smoke layer and see that heat and see those victims early on,” said Gamble.

During the training, firefighters “erased the color.” The color yellow on the thermal cameras meant 300 degrees and red meant well over 500 degrees.

“We’re able to see where the hottest parts of that fire, or what the hottest room is, and how to best effectively cool that. You know the faster that we can get water directed into a hot atmosphere, it rapidly cools the environment as a whole,” said Morton.

The thermal cameras also allowed firefighters to see smoke and fuel that can be above 300 degrees.

Caddo Fire District Four was joined by Caddo Fire District Three for mutual aid training.  

“When that fire comes, today, tonight, next shift, whatever it may be, it’s second nature to us at that point knowing the fastest, best, most effective way to get in there and hopefully rescue somebody and hopefully be able to put the fire out,” said Morton.