Instructors from the Maryland Fire And Rescue Institute and the National Fire Academy came to the old Laurel Lakes Center to start fires. These fires were not for fire suppression training, but rather for arson investigation. The arson class, usually taught at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg MD, was being taught here in Laurel by the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute and the Prince George's County Fire Department. Rooms in the old Lakes Center were setup to simulate offices, storage rooms, bedrooms, and living rooms. Fires were set simulating arsonists' techniques. The old Green Turtle Bar was set a blaze by a waste basket fire that was designed to spread to the rest of the bar. A child's bedroom was created to simulate a fire started by kids playing with matches. A second bedroom was used to simulate a homicide fire while the living room setup was used to simulate a careless smoker starting a fire in a sofa.For the LVFD, our job was to extinguish the fires so that they would not endanger the rest of the building. While this provided good live fire training, members also got a first hand view of the process of fire investigation.
Trailers designed to lead
fire around the room were setup in the mock office setting.
LVFD members prepare to attack a bedroom fire. |
|
