Just north of DACC’s Mary Miller Gymnasium on Tuesday (Nov 10), the Danville Fire Department was hosting Champaign Academy firefighters in training for some realistic experience. As the Danville Fire Department’s Captain Ryan Allison pointed out, this blighted house at 47 Tillman Avenue was providing training a step above what the brand new recruits may have seen thus far.
AUDIO: But a lot of their training that they’re doing is over at Mahomet, at Corn Belt Fire Protection District. And so there, they’re using what we call “cans,” which are metal containers that are simulating houses, and things like that. The fire behaves much differently inside of a real house than it does inside of that metal can. And so, this is invaluable training for them.
Allison says this was a win-win situation for everyone; because by the conclusion of the day, the trainees would have their experience, and the City of Danville would have one less lighted home to tear down.
AUDIO: At the end of this training, the intent is to burn it all the way down. It does end of saving money to the tune of about $6,000 every time that we take one of these houses down. At some point, we’ll run through enough evolutions where they’ve got all the training they need, and we’ll take the building all the way down.
Neighbors around the 47 Tillman Avenue address took advantage of the beautiful autumn day to watch the Champaign Fire Academy recruits in training.
