Training for flashovers

Volunteer firefighters in full gear from all for Central Elgin halls received day-long flashover training at the Yarmouth Centre Fire Station located just east of St. Thomas on Saturday, Oct. 14. The training continued all day on Sunday as well. The firefighters were trained using a Drager flashover simulator. “Flashovers occur when high temperatures in a space result in the simultaneous ignition of all the combustible contents,” a media release from Central Elgin Fire and Rescue stated. “They are the leading cause of firefighter injuries and death, so firefighters need to be able to recognize the risk factors and learn how to react to them.” The simulator trains firefighters to recognize conditions that lead up to a flashover and learn techniques to delay the phenomenon, the release continued. The simulator has an enclosed area firefighters can closely monitor fire behaviour and learn the warning signs of a flashover. “The observation level gives firefighters a safe vantage point for observing the stages of fire as it progresses to flashover,” the release concluded.