Firefighters Gather In Tulsa For Special Training

Hundreds of firefighters from around the country are in Tulsa for additional training on saving lives.

Volunteers and full-time firefighters from 8 different states attended Friday’s state fire school. 

News On 6’s Justin Shrair got the opportunity to step inside their "flashover chamber" and experience first-hand what firefighters can encounter.

Smoke, fire, low visibility, and a lot of heat. Those are just some of the challenges firefighters face every day. And at state fire school, it's simulations and training that help them prepare for those dangerous situations.

"It's helping the volunteers, its helping paid firefighters, I mean the level of instructors that are here these are the kinds of guys and girls that teach all over the United States," said TFD Chief of Training Bryan Lloyd.  

One of those simulations is called a flashover chamber, a way to simulate what happens if a fire flashes.

"Flashover is a phenomenon that can kill firefighters on the fire ground," said Lloyd. 

Meaning the entire room catches on fire. The chamber helps simulate this in a controlled environment.

"It’s a box on top of another box. we start a fire and build it up until it flashes over and then all the guys and girls that are in the bottom box can watch that build," said Lloyd. 

Without this tool, firefighters say they couldn't properly train for this scenario. 

"With an instructor and as the fire builds in the top we’re able to say this is a warning sign of flashover, when this happens do this when this happens do this, at this point, it’s time to leave the structure," said Lloyd.  

Knowing what signs to look for can save lives. 
     
That was just one simulation. Firefighters also trained on how to operate in a high rise, standpipe operations, and had HAZMAT training.

Fire school runs through Sunday.