How Heroes are Made

 

 

Lynn Bledsoe

Gimlet Managing Editor

 

We have all seen those movies where a fire fighter is caught in a flashover scene, you know the kind of scene where heroes are made?  These are real-life scenarios brought to the big screen for dramatic effect, but did you know that your very own local firefighters face these sorts of things at any given time? They train for these because they are real-life heroes.

A volunteer firefighter training was held in Brownsville on October 18, 2025. The KY State Fire Instructors were on hand to conduct the very dangerous instructional training. Chris McCoy was the lead instructor for the Flash Over Recognition training. Three are held a year in the district, and McCoy says it’s his favorite class to teach.

 

 

Volunteers spend hours in classroom instructions, but nothing is ever as good as seeing the practices in real life. The simulator they use is a metal container that has two levels; the upper level is stocked with pallets, cardboard, and straw. Once the students are inside on the lower deck, below the fire line, the upper deck is set on fire.

 

 

They have to wear special equipment, and an instructor is inside with them. They are all equipped with a beeper signal that will beep after a few seconds of non-movement. This lets everyone know if someone is in trouble. All precautions are taken. The purpose is to learn what the signs of a flashover are before it happens, so a firefighter can get out of a building.

 

 

Several fire departments came from the area to attend the training; 5th District from Butler County, Edmonson’s: Lincoln, Rocky Hill, and Chalybeate were all in attendance.

McCoy wanted to extend a thank you to Brownsville for hosting the event.