FEMA USAR Class Begins
 
By Captain Bill Cummings
March 10, 2015
 

This past weekend, 20 members participated in the first module of the 80+ hour FEMA USAR Structural Collapse Technician course held at the West Chester Fire Training Center. The class is being taught by Harrisburg Area Community College with instructors from the FEMA USAR System. Fame participates in the Chester County Rescue Task Force as the lead company in the Structural Collapse Rescue discipline. Crews learned about the Federal Urban Search and Rescue System, conducting search operations, building types, assessing building damage, search and building markings, and the uses, advantages and disadvantages of all of the tools carried on Rescue and Collapse 53 that would be needed for a collapse rescue. Three more weekends of training are scheduled for April and May. Check out some of the photos from the weekend. All pictures are courtesy of Dave Daniels
 
Crews setting up Delsar Life Detector to detect "victim" trapped inside.
Crews setting up Delsar Life Detector to detect "victim" trapped inside.
Technical Search Specialist Jim Leon with the Delsar
Technical Search Specialist Jim Leon with the Delsar
 
Utility and Collapse 53
Utility and Collapse 53
Crews reviewing the operation and maintenance of various components of the Stanley Hydraulic System
Crews reviewing the operation and maintenance of various components of the Stanley Hydraulic System
 
Technicians Amway and Norsoph operating the concrete cutting rotary saw of the Stanley System.
Technicians Amway and Norsoph operating the concrete cutting rotary saw of the Stanley System.
Torch station of the day long Tool Lab. Crews reviewed and operated the oxy-acetylene, Petrogen and ArcAir exothermic torches carried by Fame units.
Torch station of the day long Tool Lab. Crews reviewed and operated the oxy-acetylene, Petrogen and ArcAir exothermic torches carried by Fame units.
 
Technician Sean McCausland with the Petrogen torch cutting multiple layers of steel, like a hot knife through butter.
Technician Sean McCausland with the Petrogen torch cutting multiple layers of steel, like a hot knife through butter.
FEMA USAR instructor, George Lazorchick (Structures Specialist for FEMA USAR PATF-1) guides Technician Beans (right) and Technician Dixon (rear) while using the Petrogen torch.
FEMA USAR instructor, George Lazorchick (Structures Specialist for FEMA USAR PATF-1) guides Technician Beans (right) and Technician Dixon (rear) while using the Petrogen torch.