Deep Dive with New Fire Chief for Maine Maritime Academy
The newest training structure from Fire Facilities Inc. at the Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) in Bucksport, Maine, is a remarkable facility designed to provide comprehensive training for both maritime and land-based firefighting. The four-story, all-steel structure, known as the Fire Chief training tower, sits four stories above ground and offers a unique and immersive experience simulating life underwater for firefighters.
One of the most striking features of this facility is its ship theme, which is evident throughout the structure. It includes a two-story engine room, complete with interior stairs and ladders, a galley, and staterooms. The building spans roughly 60 feet in length and stands 40 feet high, offering multiple floors for firefighting exercises, with the capacity to conduct training on four levels. This diverse range of training scenarios includes hose advancement, fire attack, search and rescue, rappelling, laddering, confined space and high-angle rescue operations.
The high-tech training facility includes multiple gas-fueled fire features and scenarios, thoughtfully designed, and installed by Symtech. Each simulates shipboard fire scenarios.
“The ship theming allows for some truly unique training opportunities,” says Pete Romero, engineering manager with Symtech. “Within the two-story engine room is a Maritime Engine Prop and an Overhead Pipe Flange Fire. There’s a Galley Fire Prop with Grease Flare-Up Effect and a State Room Fire Prop with Ceiling Rollover. Each burn room has a 70,000 cfm Smoke Machine for added realism, and there’s also a centralized smoke generation system.
“This training structure has both gas-fueled and Class A fires in the same structure. This is enabled by Symtech’s state-of-the-art gas-fueled training equipment and the dependable Fire Facilities Westec thermal lining system. Symtech’s clean-burning LPG technology enables fire training with minimal impact to the surrounding environment and community.”
Maine Maritime Academy is a public, co-educational college located in the coastal town of Castine, Maine. The student population numbers approximately 950 students in courses of study in engineering, management, science, and transportation. MMA students benefit from hands-on education, international sea-time aboard the Training Ship State of Maine or the Schooner Bowdoin, cadet shipping aboard commercial vessels, and cooperative education assignments.
