Local fire crews using old house in LeRoy for training exercises

Posted by Howard Owens on July 22, 2009 - 7:46am

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Above, local volunteer firefighters practice evacuating a smoke-filled building on Main in LeRoy. The haziness provides some idea of what visibility might be like during an actual rescue operation. In this case, the smoke is only simulated.

More than 40 firefighters from LeRoy, Stafford and Pavilion participated in Monday night's drill. First Assistant Fire Chief Michael T. Sheflin submitted the pictures.

The building is an old house on the site of the proposed Wal-Mart in LeRoy. The structure was donated to the LeRoy fire department by the chain for use as a training facility. In previous training exercises, Bergen and Caledonia have used the building.

Sheflin writes:

Monday nights drill was search and rescue, teams entered the structure through the side door and through a second story window using a 35' extension ladder. As you can see in the photos, smoke condition and visabilty were limited. Using search and rescue techniques teams located victims ( training dummies that weight 145 lbs ) and removed them from the building using both the entrance way and the ladder. As the photos show, the Le Roy Fire Dept as well as the rest of the fire departments in the area are trained in search and resuce as well as building evacuations.

Shefin added:

If anyone one is interested in joining there local fire department, most departments hold training or meeting on Monday nights in Genesee County. Stop by and the members will be glad to talk to you.

Howard Owens
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Posted by Tammy Way on July 22, 2009 - 7:55am

Nice looking house if you ask me -- sad its used for demo purposes.

Posted by Howard Owens on July 22, 2009 - 7:57am

Wal-Mart is planning to tear it down anyway. I've driven by it many times though -- I don't think it's that great of shakes (even as nice as it appears in this picture), and it's not a great location. I think it was probably more recently a business location.

Posted by Laura Scarborough on July 22, 2009 - 8:28am

I've spoken to the Grandson of the owner of the home that sold it to Walmart. He said the home needed much updating inside and would have cost a great deal of money. I'm thinking if I was older and had a chance to sell and help w/my retirement, I would have done the same.

Posted by bud prevost on July 22, 2009 - 8:30am

Always a residence Howard, a few years back they sold cars also from there. I have to imagine that will be an entrance to the proposed business, as it makes sense to create an intersection with Keeney Rd. As much as they keep saying it's coming, I'll believe it when I see it. While I personally don't near the level of disdain that others on this site do for Walmart, it definitely won't hurt my feelings if it isn't built.

Posted by Andrew Erbell on July 22, 2009 - 9:50am

Bergen Auto Sales used to have cars there periodically as a satellite lot in the warm weather months. I've been told the house has some abatement issues, thus why moving it and renovations were unlikely to happen.

Posted by Bob Price on July 22, 2009 - 10:15pm

I wonder if Rosemary Christian made an appearance to see volunteers at work training....she thinks they aren't qualified to fight some fires....I wonder when they are going to burn that house down on Rt.5 that they have used for training the past year.....it's beginning to become an eyesore(across from the Gravel Pit)

Posted by Marcia Boor on July 28, 2009 - 3:12pm

I knew the people who lived there years ago. There was an inground pool that I believe is now buried. Wonder if the contruction crew wll find it when they start building.