On March 3, 2012, Ryan Pennington with Firehouse Magazine came to Station 40 to present "Hoarders Homes".  Ryan brings with him years of experience and knowledge that made this presentation one that will stay with those who were able to attend.

Fighting fires in hoarded homes is rapidly becoming a familiar occurrence in today’s fire service. While the mission is still the same, the tactics used when fighting these fires need to change to make for a safer environment. The presentation put you in the first due unit arriving at a reported structure fire inside a Hoarded home. From hoarder recognition to salvage and overhaul students will be exposed to the different thought process used while fighting fires in hoarded homes. “Hoarder Homes: Piles of hazards for firefighters” will return you to quarters with the knowledge and tools to come home safe!

The intent of the presentation was to expose the students to the ins and outs of fighting a structural fire inside a house with a hoarder type conditions. Multiple variables will complicate the use of normal tactics when faced with areas that are no longer able to be used for their intended purpose. The learning objectives will be to identify factors such as hoarder front yards, tactical changes used while fighting these types of fires, and overhaul techniques used on massive amounts of belongings. This program hopes to introduce new ways of thinking when engaged in fire operations inside hoarded homes.

The target audience of this program is from the chief level to the street level firefighter. Knowing your stuff when faced with a hoarder fire is valuable to everyone on the department. During the program all aspects of a hoarder response will be covered. The knowledge gained can benefit everyone who attends, no matter what rank or level.

Ryan Pennington is a Firefighter/Paramedic for the Charleston Fire Department in Charleston West Virginia.  He is currently assigned to Station 8 and is part of the West Virginia Task Force 1 USAR team.  He has over 17 years of combined Fire, Rescue and EMS experience.  Ryan started with a local volunteer department and continued through EMS to spend five years as a Critical Care Paramedic.  Ryan transferred to the career fire service in 2003 and has worked for the City of Charleston since 2007.

Ryan is currently a WV State Instructor 2, Hazmat Technician, and Certified Fire Officer 2.  He is very involved teaching EMS and firefighter safety.  Ryan has also worked closely with CAMC Hospital in their Simulation Center.  He is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree at West Virginia State University.  You can find his blog at firehouse.com/viewsfromthejumpseat and reach him at [email protected]

A big thanks to Ryan for making the trip to Delaware.  We hope to see him again soon!!

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