The Ark City Fire/EMS Department is looking to partner with local businesses to invest in fire safety training equipment.
Chet Ranzau, the Fire Marshal of the Arkansas City Fire Department, showcased a fire extinguisher training system borrowed from another fire department at a recent career fair. He aims to acquire similar equipment for the ACFD soon. (Photo courtesy Ark City Fire Department)
“The Arkansas City Fire/EMS Department provides fire extinguisher training to several entities throughout our community,” Fire Marshall Chet Ranzau stated in a news release from the ACFD Friday. “Fire extinguisher training aims to ensure employees are familiar with the types of fire extinguishers and how to use them safely.”
ACFD employs a training method involving a metal drum containing a gasoline and diesel mixture, the fire department said. This drum is ignited to simulate a fire, and participants use extinguishers from their respective companies to put out the flames.
While this training approach serves its purpose, ACFD says a safer, more efficient, cost-effective option is available via a fire extinguisher training system called the Intelligent Training System from LION Group, Inc.
ACFD says this system, with a price tag of approximately $15,000, is a compact design that senses where the trainee aims and sweeps the SmartExtinguisher, putting the fire out if used correctly, and can be relit by a handheld controller.
“The SmartExtinguisher is recharged with water and air in the field, eliminating the mess of dry chemicals and fumes from the gasoline/diesel mixture that can pose a hazard to the environment and employees,” Ranzau said. “This system also eliminates the cost of recharging extinguishers used in the training. Fire extinguisher training is vital to workplace safety, ensuring employees are well-equipped to respond effectively to fire emergencies.
“By participating in this initiative, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to employee well-being, property protection, and environmental stewardship.”
For more information, email Ranzau at [email protected] or call (620) 441-4430.
