Training at the Bridgeport Fire Department is not unusual. Having dozens of individuals involved with training from all across the East Coast as well as locally is a bit of an anomaly.

 

Such was the case this past weekend when the department hosted the first-ever Bridgeport Fire Expo. Chief Phil Hart said roughly 60 students took part, including members of the city staff, and included individuals from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Florida, Delaware, and in-state.

 

“It was a two-day event that started Saturday and it was a huge success,” said Hart. “We’re planning on having a larger event next time and, right now, the goal is to make it an annual event with us hosting again next year.”

 

The majority of the event, ran by Interstate Rescue, was held behind the Bridgeport Fire Department in several of the training structures that are available. Hart said the key goal of the two-days of training was to get individuals to react to performing under pressure.

 

“Firefighters were put into stressful incidents to see how they would perform,” said Hart. “There were different scenarios and different training lessons that focuses on firefighter safety and survival.”

 

To do that, much of the training took place in the burn building and structures located directly behind the Main Street Fire Department. Hart said searches were done were victims were brought from the burn building, individuals were involved in a structure where the floor gave one, a case was handled with a trapped firefighter, and a case where a firefighter self-extracted themself from a building among other scenarios.

 

Hart said a structure was acquired on State Route 131 for use as well. That structure was filled with smoke and the goal was to ventilate, enter, and search to quickly find victims inside.

 

“It was a lot of good training,” said Hart. “Roughly 75 percent of those training were not from the area and ended up staying one or two nights and supported local businesses, so there was a win there as well.”

 

Hart said the event saw instructors showing those involved ways to address the situations they were put into. He said they did not necessarily say their answer was the only way to do it, but their answer on how to do it. Hart added that instructors and firefighters – who he said came from paid, volunteer, mixed staffs – shared ideas on how to address situations.

 

“There was a really good tradeoff of information,” said Hart. “I believe it benefitted everyone from the students to the instructors.”

 

Brian Edwards, one of the instructors, had words of praise from the event.

 

"Hundreds of man hours were spent building props, moving equipment, and setting the stage for what was viewed by the students...(It was) very eye opening and most realistic, real life training that pushed them to their limits and beyond," said Edwards.

 

Some hours were also spent by a local business getting the event ready. Mayor Andy Lang said Harrison County business iLease loaned a man lift to the fire department to prep the training structure at the Main Street station. 

 

"I'd like to thank Chris Sanders (the owner) and the folks at iLease for their help," said Lang.

 

Editor's Note: Photos show some of the training from the two-day event.