Firefighters Learn to Cope in Collapsed Building

By Harry B. Scheeler Jr.
ERMA — On April 19, the Erma Volunteer Fire Department hosted a county-wide drill that simulated a high-rise struture collapse.
Personal protection equipment specialists of Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania provided a mobile building collapse simulator that was designed to allow the rescuer to advance his/her skills in a building collapse.
Firefighters responded to a simulated three-story condo collapse with the third floor collapsing to the second.
Firefighters set up a command post with live video feeds into the simulator. Firefighter Brian Ladzenski, 22, of Erma portrayed the victim trapped on the second floor pinned under debris.
Firefighters entered the simulator on hands and knees carrying tools and dragging their Scott air packs. The firefighters had to crawl in zero visibility conditions clearing debris and negotiating a flight of steps before they arrived to the collapsed floor.
Firefighters then used jacks and airbags to prop up the floor, finally rescuing the “victim.”
Tom Quinn, co-owner of PPES, got the idea to design the simulator after leaving Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001.
In 2004, PPES had completed the first prototype and has a patent pending. “The volunteers had no idea what they were getting into, this simulator will allow volunteers to train for a collapse.” said Quinn.
The simulator is built on a 24- or 30-foot trailer and is custom made. The simulator can take up to three months to complete. It can include options like sound effects and smoke conditions. Quinn said the simulator is “as real as it gets.”
Firefighter/EMT Bill Szemcsak, 29), of Erma described the simulator “It was very hot, there was debris that where unstable, it felt like a real collapse. I hope we are all ready for the real thing now.”