We love Bethany! We believe it is important for our community to have the facts.

Here is the original Bethany Volunteer Fire Department powerpoint/proposal: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WP0tzaNW2Mva3tLtskbqlv6SJ0Ce5eDW/view

The proposed burn building is a 2 story building designed to be set on fire multiple times to create training scenarios for firefighters.

Burn buildings are designed to purposely produce heat and high volumes of smoke to obscure vision and simulate a building fire. It is when extinguishment (including partial extinguishment - as occurs in training evolutions) that steam is produced. This adds a tremendous amount of pressure and velocity and creates very INEFFICIENT and INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION, increasing the mixture of particulate and smoke particles, and increasing their overall speed and travel distance. (Think of a gas stove - clean blue flame - vs. a smokey camp fire).

We found very little research on the impact burn buildings themselves have on both the environment and the communities around them. Turns out, it is up to individual state and local constituents/fire departments to conduct these studies. Unfortunately not many have done so. 

"Studies have been done to examine the environmental impact of fire but we cannot yet fully quantify this impact and its consequences to the local economy." - National Fire Protection Association https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/US-Fire-Problem/RFEIFRoadmapSummary.ashx

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Link to a 2020 CFPC (Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control) report that discusses the role and reason for the State’s 9 regional fire training facilities: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ncnQLW3vR8b0_nngRAmSovPefhoLGIx0/view?usp=drive_link

"Live fire training can result in damage to the environment through repeated release of products of combustion and run-off water from fire suppression operations. ...Run-off has the potential to cause greater long-term damage to the local environment."

Even if using less hazardous burning materials will still give off combustion products such as carbon monoxide, which can build up in the bloodstream over several hours. Some departments use accelerants such as diesel fuel or donated materials which may contain unknown chemical hazards. 

Additionally, burn buildings do not cannot substitute for the experience gained in "real" structure fires. This can cause firefighters to be improperly trained for real life scenarios which is hazardous to their health.

Reference: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hMlbg8zKbMop0uWSbY6oNv8G8KyJygdo/view?usp=drive_link

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"Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic matter burn. The biggest health threat from smoke comes from fine particles. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis. Fine particles also can aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases – and even are linked to premature deaths in people with these conditions."

Children, older adults, and those with heart and lung disease are all more likely to be affected by smoke. Children are particularly at risk because their respiratory systems are still developing, they breathe more air than adults, and are more likely to be active outside.

Reference: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17_jhgWCI0UcHYciurUbV09Udrtllg-qm/view?usp=drive_link