Lexington Fire Academy Recruits Experience Real-Life Fire Training

Lexington, KY – Recruit Class 73 at the Lexington Fire Academy faced a significant training milestone on Thursday, participating in a rare drill involving a controlled live fire. The opportunity came as the recruits, alongside 10 probationary firefighters, engaged in battling an intentionally set structure fire at a property on Man o’ War Boulevard, east of Interstate 75.

This type of exercise had not been conducted in a decade, as stated by Battalion Chief Derek Roberts. Typically, recruits train using metal cargo containers to simulate fire scenarios. “We don’t get this every recruit class,” said Shane Poynter, Battalion Chief of Training for the Lexington Fire Department. “This gives them an opportunity to see what they’re going to be seeing out on the street when they get assigned to front-line fire engines and ladders.”

In total, 30 future firefighters participated in the live training event. The property owner, who had plans for demolition, offered the structure to firefighters for training purposes, allowing instructors to set multiple fires inside before safely burning the building down entirely.

The main focus of the drill was on hose line advancement and fire attack. Recruits practiced extending hoses from fire trucks into the home to extinguish the flames. “They’re learning hose movement in smoke, in zero visibility, and then when they get into the room where the fire is, they get the structure knowledge,” Poynter explained. “They get their knowledge of fire behavior inside of a structure, how it’s affected by being in a wood structure versus a metal burn container, how the wind affects it.”

This real-world experience provided a stark contrast to the academy’s traditional training methods, where recruits do not encounter the same fire dynamics. “You do get the heat, you get the smoke (in a cargo container) but you don’t get all the fire behavior you get in an actual house,” noted Poynter. “This is a big opportunity for us to bring these new recruits and probationary firefighters out to get this experience.”

Joseph Jones, one of the recruits, emphasized the importance of this training, stating it was the most crucial exercise they had faced in their 22 weeks at the academy. “Not only is there a bunch of people that are out online already, but as a recruit mostly working in controlled areas like cargo containers, this exercise allows me to really learn what goes on in a structure,” Jones remarked.

Recruits are in the 26-week training program, which also includes lessons on search and rescue techniques and nozzle techniques. Zachary Atkins, another trainee, expressed confidence in the academy’s rigorous curriculum, saying, “It’s a long and strenuous academy, but it does make you feel ready for getting in line and actually starting the work.”

The recruit class is set to graduate in mid-December, with Jones looking forward to putting his training into practice. “There’s nothing better than actually getting this gear on and getting to go inside and actually see what fire can do, but hopefully save the lives of those inside the home,” he stated.

Poynter concluded by encouraging recruits to adopt a lifelong learning mentality. “I’ve been in the department for 22 years and I’m still learning every day. Never stop learning,” he advised, highlighting the importance of continuous training beyond the academy.