When I talked to Ron Richards about doing an Engine Company Class we wanted something different.  Boy did him come thru.  When he first arrived at 98’s Station he was kind of quiet.  That changed in the first 10 minutes.
 

Captain Tony Tricarico of FDNY Squad 252 was the lead instructor.  He did a power point program for the first 2 hours, which was about the only thing normal that would happen for in the next 2 days. After taking us outside up to PNC Field we stretched out some 2 ½  off the high rise packs to the stand pipe systems.  He explained how we would stretch these lines around the floor areas and told us what it would be like with people running out in a real emergency. When lunch was over we went into abandon warehouse in Old Forge and we had to put 2-2 ½  lines stretched 450 ft. thru the building up a second floor thru a old work type area and put water out the window area.

We did this with wax paper in  our masks making it very realistic to smoke conditions.  Each line had crews of 10.  After a few minutes Command radioed to both crews a MAYDAY, and get out of the building it was staring to collapse.  As we told our teams to start backing out the sounds and items that we had encountered  were as close to realistic as I could ever recall in 29 years.  The instructors kept slamming tables and overturning objects against us and really made you think, that  every move was a challenge to get out alive.  When we all existed he talked to us and told us the good and bad that he saw and advised us on how these are the things we could in counter on any given day.

The next scenario was if a Firefighter had fallen thru a hole in the floor and how you would be able to get them out using a hose line.  Let’s just say it was unbelievable in showing how Teamwork and a 2” line could lift someone out of that hole.  We did this probably 10 to 15 times with everyone either being rescued or pulling them up thru the hole.  After this Saturday ended and we knew this wasn’t just a normal Engine Company Class.
 

Sunday morning we moved to Schuylkill Fire Training Center a place we have used many times.  Now this was our comfort zone, our home court, time to shine, and show him what we do as we call “bread and butter”,  SO WE THOUGHT.  As we responded in to the front door we found Capt Tricarico standing there letting us know the front door was out of bounds.  So another way had to be used. This was what was going on all day, just when you thought you knew what he was going to do he changed the game plan.

In all Sunday we did 5 scenarios each being different and more difficult, and making you think more and more this was ANYTHING  BUT NORMAL.  So when the day ended we all looked at each other and felt this was  probably one of the best classes we had ever taken.  It was incredible to see new methods and he was able to push us to do things we never had done in any Engine Company Class before. 

In closing,  when the opportunity arises and you want and think you are up to the challenge, schedule a class with Task Force 1 and ask for Capt. Tony Tricarico, tell him Jimmy sent you. 

Photo gallery:  Day one       Day two   Helmet cam