Health & Fitness
McHenry County College Receives Donation of Portable Cascade System for Fire Science Program
MCC Fire Science students begin using portable cascade system for training sessions with donation from by Air One Equipment.
A portable cascade system has been donated to the Friends of McHenry County
College (MCC) by Air One Equipment, Inc. of South Elgin for MCC fire science
classes to refill air tanks during live fire training.
Air One is a leading supplier of fire service equipment, especially self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA)—also known as air masks—for area fire departments
and training academies. The portable cascade system is installed in a 16-foot
by 7-foot wide Haulmark utility trailer, valued at $16,000, which can be pulled
to an off-site location by college-owned vehicles.
The cascade system allows MCC Fire Science students in the basic Firefighter
Operations class to refill their breathing apparatus on-site during live fire
training. SCBA tanks generally last 20-30 minutes. Students may need to refill
their SCBA tanks three or four times per training session.
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“This on-site ability to refill tanks will make the process easier for students and
instructors,” said Doug Goosetree, Fire Science department chairperson.
The cascade system is comprised of 16 large cylinders that are interconnected.
There is a pressure regulator, holding brackets, and hoses that can refill the
smaller SCBA cylinders. This cascade system cascade system trailer was taken to its first student training session on May 4 at the Huntley fire tower. Instructors and students agree the system will enhance their training.
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"It makes this a lot easier. Don’t have to depend on another rig. Plus, there’s
more air on here than on a (fire) engine or squad,” said Adam Murphy of Sleepy
Hollow said. He is a new recruit for Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Fire
Department.
In the past, the available refills of air would run out by lunchtime, instructors
said. With the portable cascade system, there are enough refills to last a full
training day, which typically runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We’re excited. This is a dream come true for our fire science program. We
appreciate the generosity of materials and labor from Air One Equipment,” said
Ron Moritz, MCC fire science instructor.
Future plans for the trailer include adding more equipment, including a selection of axes and other tools the students can use during training, Moritz said.
