Stis equipped with live fire simulator

Kneeling in the adjoining room, the heat is almost unbearable. Flames lick at the ceiling and smoke gradually fills the space. The firefighters from the Service territorial d'incendie et de secours (territorial fire and rescue service) are quietly observing the scene. Nothing could be more normal, since this is not a real fire, but a true-to-life simulation produced by one of the new pieces of equipment available to the firefighters at their new fire station in Saint-Jean. In the training tower, thanks to an investment of 608,000 euros by the Collectivité territoriale, a real fire simulator has been made available to the Stis. This is a unique piece of equipment in the Caribbean," says Lieutenant Christophe Laurens, commander of the Stis. It has the advantage of enabling us to train in real fire situations, to work on shipboard fires... In short, it allows us to develop our skills. "The officer also stresses the importance of the tower, which provides a training area for the Gendarmerie, as well as the opportunity to undertake training in the use of fire extinguishers. Not to mention the development of cooperation with the fire departments of neighboring islands. Indeed, on the day of the demonstration, Friday March 7, Captain Arnould and Lieutenant Richardson from Saint-Martin were present.

"We used to train wherever we could", says
Éric Berganzoli, KFT's Director of Operations, is also there. The company, which specializes in the design of fire simulators and modular buildings, worked closely with the Collectivité's technical services and the Stis fire department to design this state-of-the-art equipment. The highest level of safety, a control system already integrated by Stis trainers, and equipment custom-built for the tower of the new building. maintenance that can be carried out remotely by KFT technicians - everything has been thought out in a coherent and efficient way. Before, in the old fire station, we trained wherever we could," remarks Lieutenant Charmillon. A lot of firefighters were discovering fire for the first time. With all the risks of accidents and burns that can entail. Today, this opens up a specific training area that enables firefighters to become aware of the dangers and the limits of their protective equipment, all in a space that can be shared. "
It goes without saying that the equipment presentation could not take place without a demonstration. For this one, the President of the Collectivité and the Prefect's delegate are invited to don an intervention suit. "The simulator can raise the temperature to 350 degrees," explains Éric Berganzoli. "It can't get any hotter than a territorial council meeting," smiles Xavier Lédée.
To equip the fire station with this device, a year of joint preparation between KFT and the technical services was required, for just fourteen days of installation.