Training Tower Setting for Vent and Search Drill
 
By Ex Chief Dean W. Pappas
October 26, 2020
 

Katonah Firefighters on Monday night practiced two key skill sets essential for effective firefighting--venting of a structure to remove the smoke, and search and rescue. During structure fires, venting helps to clear out the smoke, allowing firefighters to better search the interior. Our training tower provides the perfect setting for this kind of drill. We're able to fill the interior with smoke using a smoke machine, and then conduct venting and search operations using ground ladders and the interior stairs. The three-story tower provides us with a lot of flexibility to set up various drill scenarios, and it is one of the main reasons why Katonah Fire Department is also a satellite training center for Westchester County's firefighter training program.