Firefighters get rare opportunity to train in 3-story building in Butler Township

March 09, 2024 Last Updated: March 09, 2024 02:00 PM Local News

Firefighters evacuate the building Friday, March 8, after putting out a fire in Butler Township. They were part of local and out of state fire departments participating in the live fire training hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

BUTLER TWP — About 20 firefighters from Butler Township Volunteer Fire District responded to smoke billowing from the old domiciliary at the VA Butler Healthcare Healthcare Friday morning, March 8, on New Castle Road.

While this type of situation would normally be alarming, even for the firefighters, the fire was being simulated Friday, and the participants in the training were more amused than anxious.

“We don’t have many opportunities to do something like this on a real building,” said Scott Frederick, director of emergency services for Butler Township. “It’s fun.”

The vacant three-story mid-rise building on VA Butler Healthcare Healthcare’s grounds is scheduled to be demolished, but the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy was able to plan a simulation training event for firefighters before it is pulled down.

Conducting the training throughout the week and weekend were instructors from Butler County Community College and the state fire academy, and 80 “students” from nearly a dozen fire departments from Pennsylvania and surrounding states participated.

David Guiste, chief of the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services, said that although the fire academy and BC3 have burn buildings where firefighters in training can practice their response, they seldom get to practice in a building actually built for occupancy.

The training taking place this week was meant for more experienced firefighters — those used to responding to fires but not always to the scale of a three-story building.

To set up the scenario, educators with the state fire academy set hay and wood pallets on fire in certain rooms of the building, then relayed information to the firefighters in a way that they might really receive an emergency call. According to Guiste, the educators intentionally made the scenario difficult for the firefighters.

“We want to train them for the worst possible encounter,” Guiste said. “Sometimes you get a call at 2 a.m. and have to get people out of a burning house — we don’t want that to be the first time that happens (to a firefighter).”

Fred Gillespie, deputy fire chief in Erie, helped lead the training. With firefighters from departments in New York, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio present at the training, he said the building was a great way for all of them to get practice.

“It gives us training you can’t simulate,” Gillespie said. “In this building you can do what’s called a ‘high-risk, low-frequency’ fire.”

The building was surrounded by fire trucks and firefighters throughout the day Friday, and they ran a few simulations until 4 p.m. In between each scenario, Gillespie talked with the group about how they planned and executed their attack, and asked what they think they could have done better. The training was scheduled to be eight hours, and many of the firefighters crouched or knelt down while the debriefing.

“If you think they’re tired now, wait until the end of the day,” Guiste said after the first scenario at around 10:30 a.m.

A Fairfax County firefighter carries a fire hose Friday, March 8, during a live fire training hosted by on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare in Butler Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Several local and out of state fire departments participated in the live fire training hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare on Friday, March 8, in Butler Township. Firefighters evacuate the building after putting out the fire. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

A firefighter with the Butler Township Volunteer Fire District climbs the firetruck ladder during the live fire training hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare on Friday, March 8. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

A firefighter with the Butler Township Volunteer Fire Department climbs the firetruck ladder Friday, March 8, during the live fire training hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare in Butler Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

A group of firefighters enter the burning building Friday, March 8, in Butler Township. Several local and out of state fire departments participate in the live fire training hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

A firefighter with the Butler Township Volunteer Fire District guides the ladder to the burning building Friday, March 8, during the live fire training hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare in Butler Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Several local and out of state fire departments participate in the live fire training hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of VA Butler Healthcare on Friday, March 8. Firefighters pass down a fire hose during the training in Butler Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

The Butler Township Volunteer Fire District participates in the live fire training Friday, March 8, hosted by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of VA Butler Healthcare in Butler Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Several local and out of state fire departments participate in the live fire training hosted Friday, March 8, by the VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services on the campus of the VA Butler Healthcare in Butler Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Several local and out of state fire departments participated in the live fire training hosted by the Butler VA Fire & Emergency Services on the campus of the Butler VA Health Care System on Friday, March 8. Pictured, firefighters pass down a fire hose during the training. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (3/8/2024)

The Butler Township Volunteer Fire Department participated in the live fire training hosted by the Butler VA Fire & Emergency Services on the campus of the Butler VA Health Care System on Friday, March 8. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (3/8/2024)

Firefighters exit a burning building during the live fire training hosted by the Butler VA Fire & Emergency Services on the campus of the Butler VA Health Care System on Friday, March 8. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (3/8/2024)