New York U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer was at Engine 10 in Albany today to push for grant money to buy a state-of the art mobile fire training center.
In 1999, Schumer was one of the authors of the Assistance for Firefighter grants. Schumer’s visit to the Brevator Street fire station came with assurances he’ll have a hand in expediting Albany’s application for a $460,000 federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant that would allow the city fire department to purchase a mobile fire simulator trailer. "Albany Fire Department has gotten several of these grants. But one thing that the Albany Fire Department, as advanced and professional as it is, it doesn't have its own fire training center. With all this new equipment, with all the new techniques, they're great, but you need to train."
The Senate Minority Leader says firefighters currently have to travel to the suburbs of Colonie or Bethlehem to train. But the high-tech mobile trailer can travel from firehouse to firehouse in the Capital Region, to do hands-on training, address fire behavior, forcible entry, ventilation, search and rescue, firefighter bailout and fire suppression. "They can do live fire-training with propane-fed flames to give the firefighters the real heat and fire experience. They can fill a room with synthetic smoke, that stuff, so they practice search and rescue when there's no visibility."
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, a former firefighter and like Schumer a Democrat, says the training recruits gain by practicing with the simulator will end up saving many lives. "It's needed in this time and age. Because you know as you get the turnovers and technology continues to change, you know, here's a simulator that you can actually bring to a firehouse, some a little bit of downtime, take an hour off, go out there do some live training and bring your recruits through it. With less than 34 percent of the personnel on Albany Fire Department right now that's under five years and you're losing your senior firefighters as they retire, it's crucial to have a piece of equipment like this."
The simulator would be built by BullEx, a local company started by three former RPI students. Schumer promises to use his clout to obtain the grant money. If it comes through, officials say they'll take delivery on the new piece of equipment in less than a year.
