Gowanda first in county to acquire training trailer

Bob Coudrey, far right, and Nick Crassi, center, get a walk-through tour of the Fire Safety House by a Scotty representative.

     The Gowanda Fire Department is taking a real hands-on approach to educating children on fire safety. Thanks to a special delivery on Feb. 6, the firefighters now have a classroom on wheels - the Fire Safety House.

     Built by Mobile Concepts by Scotty, a leading RV manufacturer, the Fire Safety House is 35 feet of portable simulated home, right down to the fireplace. Complete with kitchen, bedroom and living room, the mobile "classroom" allows the fire department to create an environment complete with real-life hazards. In addition to learning how to prevent fires, youngsters - and adults - will be instructed on proper procedures to follow in the event a fire breaks out.

     Entry into the trailer is through two handicapped-accessible doorways. Once inside, visitors are either standing in the kitchen or bedroom. The living room is located in the middle of the "house" and provides access to the Command Center, which is outfitted with control switches, a window opening for video viewing and intercom/PA system. An escape ladder just outside the bedroom window allows for quick exit and a 9-1-1 phone system gives visitors the opportunity to practice making an emergency phone call.

     Once inside the vinyl-sided "house," visitors will be instructed on a variety of safety issues. Entrance doors have peepholes so those inside can see if "danger" is lurking outside. Children are cautioned not to open doors to strangers. Proper use of appliances is also discussed and includes safe positioning of pot and pan handles. Fireplace safety is another topic that firefighters cover.

     Students - young and old - also learn the procedures to follow when an emergency arises.

     The heated bedroom door is a warning to students that a fire rages beyond and the door should be kept closed. A push-out window and escape ladder offer access to the outdoors and away from flames. A fog machine fills the house with "smoke" and staying low to the floor is stressed.

     Aside from interactive demonstrations, videos on safety can be shown and viewed from the living room entertainment center or from the removable door in the control/command center.

     This rolling dassroom is not only a learning experience when plugged into a power supply like a typical RV, it is a self-contained unit with propane tanks for heat and a generator and battery for powering all the gadgets.

     Thanks to $42,000 in FEMA grant money and the efforts of Fire Chief Steve Raiport, Gowanda Fire Department now has this state-of-the-art training vehicle. Chief Raiport filed the grant application in March 2003 and funding was awarded in July. (The fire department, responsible for 10 percent of the grant, received monetary help from Erie County Legislator Steve McCarville's office.) The order for the "house" was placed on July 18, 2003 and assembly of the trailer - per fire department specifications - got under way.

     Once the unit arrived at the fire hall, a representative from Scotty went through a checklist of demonstrations with several of the firefighters. That was only the beginning; now, the real work begins.

     Fire Prevention Committee members Bob Coudrey, Nick Crassi, Kathy Camp, Carol Sheibley and Ron Andolsek will be planning lessons and training for children and adults. They will also purchase more equipment, such as TVs and VCRs, and pamphlets and handouts to assist in the education process. They hope to be "on the road in the spring, teaching not only Gowanda-area residents, but providing other communities with the opportunity to learn more about fire safety as well. In fact, the committee urges any group or organization that is interested in having the mobile dassroom visit to contact Coudrey or Crassi after April.

     Just as Gowanda's Police Department was cutting edge in being the first municipal department in Cattaraugus County to install computers in patrol cars, the fire department is first to acquire a fire safety "house," working toward a more informed and safer community.