Cranberry Township Fire Department plays host to newest training technology
CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Department welcomed fire chiefs from across the region to examine the latest training technology the industry has to offer at the township’s public safety training center Wednesday morning, Aug. 7.
The fire chiefs had the opportunity to take stock of the latest training equipment developed by Drager, a manufacturing company that specializes in medical and safety technology products.
“Drager brought in mobile simulators and props for everybody to look at to see if it’s something that could benefit their fire department to have for them to conduct training,” said Scott Garing, chief of fire and emergency services for Cranberry Township. “Conducting realistic, real-life training is absolutely one of the most important things we can do in the fire service.”
Garing estimated that 25 to 30 departments were represented at the quarterly event, which helps fire chiefs become acquainted with what’s new in the world of lifesaving procedures and technology.
The specialized training Cranberry and other local departments take part in on a daily basis has become more necessary than ever due to the increased number of calls this year.
“The training never stops,” added Garing, who has been in his current position since 2019. “It’s happening every day here in Cranberry and officially on Tuesdays, but every day firefighters are training on shift.”
“We’re on pace for a record year. Weather-related emergencies have been pretty high lately because we’ve had some pretty severe storms come through the area. With it being the peak of summer here, we’re getting a wide variety of different calls.”
Drager, in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, hauled in a new mobile unit that can simulate residential, commercial and industrial fires.
“This (the prop) is good for entry-level training programs,” said Anson Bloom, a resident instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy. “It’s really designed to be able to go to people who maybe don’t have a facility close to them so we can bring it right to them instead. With this being a new prop, we’re excited to get it out and show people the capabilities.”
Cranberry Township’s department is already equipped with multiple facilities to simulate live fires, including a large structure consisting of attached shipping containers that it has had since 2021.
That structure receives plenty of use throughout the year.
“We probably do 15 to 20 simulated fire trainings a year in that building,” said John Pristas, Cranberry Township’s assistant chief. “We’ll of course have them inspected to make sure that any maintenance is taken care of. We’re blessed that we have a great relationship with the township. They help us to be able to get this type of training equipment.”
Events like the one Wednesday help departments like Cranberry make logical decisions about what up-to-date equipment is being purchased.
“You get some awareness of what’s available out there,” said Garing. “It’s very beneficial for the folks that are making decisions as far as purchasing that we get to see those things and get our hands on them.”
