The Hamlin Fire Department recently opened a maze on the second story of the building directly behind the main office and fire vehicle storage building. The purpose of the maze is to provide a setting for Mask Confidence Courses which test the skills of interior firemen using full uniforms, including self-contained breathing apparatus, while operating in confined spaces with little or no light to see what is ahead. The Mask Confidence Course was designed and built by Chris Pignato of Greece. Captain Tom Maier completed the final layout and obstacles. The cost was $3,500 which was part of a grant secured by NYS Senator George Maziarz. The first group to test their skills in the maze was from the nearby Walker Fire Department. According to a press release from Hamlin Fire Department public information officer John Deserto, the maze tests the ability of a fireman to perform search, rescue and fire suppression operations while overcoming the challenge of very limited vision in a compromised structure. The prop also tests out ability to conduct searches in typical layouts and to perform victim rescue using as realistic a structure as possible. The course can be modified by using hinged and slide-out barriers in strategic locations. The maze setting is very dark. Illumination captured in these photos was from photographic equipment. Photographs by Walter Horylev April 9, 2006 |
