The second weekend of the 80 hour FEMA USAR Structural Collapse Technician course covered emergency rescue shoring for damaged or collapsed structures. The 18 Fame members attending the class were placed in for groups, or "Squads" and rotated through a variety of different training stations.

Saturday was spent building and installing exterior shoring. The Squads had to calculate the load or weight of the area(s) to be shored up, gather lumber, take meticulous measurements, cut exact angles, construct then install the wood shores. Squads used the FEMA USAR/US Army Corps of Engineers Shoring Operations Guide to build each shore to the strict FEMA standards. Squads built solid-sole, split-sole and flying raker sets. Used the Paratech Long Shore struts to build and install temporary shoring and then worked on the 6"x6" double-raker for supporting large commercial or heavy-wall buildings. Once the shores were built and installed, they were inspected by the instructors, all of whom are on FEMA USAR PA TF-1.

Sunday was spent building and installing interior shoring. Squads built T-Spot, double-T, two post vertical, three post vertical, laced post, sloped floor, horizontal, window and door shores. We also used the Paratech struts, too. Again, each shore was inspected by the FEMA instructors and had to meet the standards of the Shoring Operations Guide.

We look forward to next weekend's class, Lifting, Rigging, Metal Cutting and the "O" Course. Check back next week for more information and pictures.

All photos taken by Fame member Dave Daniels (Structures Specialist-Chester County Rescue TF)