On Sunday August 10th, members of the Thorndale Volunteer Fire Company gave up their day off for extra training. At 07:00 the group assembled at the station for gear checks and riding assignments and not too long after, arrived at the fire training center in West Chester. The order of the day was hose line advancement and management.

The West Chester Fire Department Training center is jointly operated by the First West Chester Fire Company, the Good Will Fire Company, the Fame Fire Company. Their goal is to provide a training facility to all members of the West Chester Fire Department, and ANY Fire, Police, EMS, or other Emergency Services Department and Industrial Fire Brigades. The Training Center has many different facilities for use. It has six major training areas; a class room that can accommodate up to thirty people, a five story tower for high rise exercises with a confidence maze, an apartment simulation, office floor simulation, and can be utilized for high angle rope rescue. The training center also has two burn buildings for live structural burns, one is set up like a typical single family home and the other a garden style apartment building. A vehicle rescue area, and a confined space area make up the balance of the property.

Instructors simulated a first floor fire and revolving crews attacked it through the front door. In the afternoon, crews attacked a first floor fire by entering through the second floor on the rear of the structure, advanced down the hallway and down the stairs to the fire room. Our last evolution of the day was a first floor fire attack by entering the Delta side of the building, advancing up to the second floor, down the hall around the corner and downstairs to the fire room. It was a fun yet exhausting day and we are already planning a return trip!