When you think about drill towers, what comes to your mind? Something that reminds you of the Tower of London, perhaps? Typically, something that resembles a multistory enclosed stairwell with a number of windows? That is the kind of structure that comes to my mind as well. Some of these same drill towers have functional roof decks, and some don’t.
As we think about these traditional drill tower structures, what do we “typically” use them for? I think our answers would mostly be quite similar. They are, for the most part, adequate structures for many things related to Firefighter I, right? We can climb stairs with hose and self-contained breathing apparatus, throw ladders to the windows, bail out, etc. Some of those towers with functionally approved roof decks can have some level of rappelling and other basic rope work done from them. With all of these attributes agreed to, I think we also recognize that when it comes to firefighter training, our existing traditional drill towers have many limitations. For example, many of us can’t look to our traditional drill towers for versatile technical rescue training opportunities.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the training we could offer from our drill tower was only limited (within reason) by our imagination? Unfortunately, the biggest buzz kill to our imagination regarding versatility of traditional drill towers is the almighty dollar, with the price of many of these new brick and mortar towers reaching well into the millions of dollars.
I delved into alternatives to traditional drill towers and was more than impressed with one of the offerings that I’ve found: Affordable Drill Towers.
Texas-based President and CEO of Affordable Drill Towers, Steve Sanguedolce, tells me that his drill towers are not a replacement for traditional brick and mortar towers. Moreover, he says that his towers are simply a more affordable and versatile alternative to them.
After climbing on, over, and through a number of Affordable’s towers, I believe you truly need to see them to understand their versatility and what that might mean for your department or training site. In the meantime, some of the attributes to these tower systems follow:
- Cost is $65K to $250K, depending on layouts and options.
- Can be erected on-site within a few weeks.
- NFPA 1402, Standard on Facilities for Fire Training and Associated Props, compliant.
- ISO drill tower credit.
- FDC, three standpipe valves, and two sprinkler heads come standard.
- Hot dipped galvanized steel.
- Low maintenance.
- Can be moved and relocated.
- Provide clear line of sight for students and instructors.
- Have an apartment balcony as a standard option.
Affordable Drill TTowers was founded in 2016 and has approximately 50 drill towers in operation in 18 states.
In addition to their versatility, as an instructor, I was struck with a couple of other differences between this and other towers that really made me think. First, I wondered about what seemed to be a limitation of not being able to offer “live fire” scenarios with these structures. I quickly learned that although you CANNOT burn in or on these towers, you most certainly can do things like enclose or tarp off “rooms” throughout these towers and under things like roof props to add lots of training smoke from below for realism. You can move ladder throw or bailout walls and windows virtually anywhere on the tower. Because there aren’t permanent solid walls, safety personnel have a much better line of sight to their students. For the same reason, communication is often made easier between students and instructors when radios for all are not an option.
Affordable Drill Towers offers a number of preengineered tower packages as well as custom towers. While at the Suffolk County (NY) Training Academy, I got a chance to climb on a number of these towers. I was impressed by both of the Affordable towers there, but I was personally taken by their B.A.R.T. (yep, Big Ass Rescue Tower). This tower has a footprint of 50 × 36 × 48.5, with 3½ stories and seven floors. A few of the many features of this tower that stuck out to me were the following:
- Two independent staircases.
- Three apartment balconies at different levels.
- Two overhang balconies for CPAT/PAT.
- Two vertical ventilation roof props.
- Six bailout window props.
- Vertical ladder with safety cage.
- Elevator shaft with steel I-beams.
- Numerous vertical confined space shafts.
- Segmented floor panels for through-the-floor rescue training.
- Removable stair treads for through-the-stairs rescue training.
- More than 400 anchor points for rappelling.
As I climbed, I saw how multiple companies could operate on this tower simultaneously. I saw rescue company/technical rescue, engine company, and ladder company work that could all be done with versatility on these structures. In addition to the standard features, Affordable Drill Towers also offers training props like a “Swing Stage,” aka high-rise window washer platform, and a new standpipe prop that features a pressure-reducing valve and multiple discharges and that will fit through a standard (classroom) man door. It also features a sprinkler head and water motor gong.
Sanguedolce also shared that these towers require very little maintenance and are practically weatherproof. They are engineered to withstand hurricane force winds. He also has some very cool virtual reality technology that allows him to show you a virtual training tower in the exact location that you’d want it on your training site. I’m admittedly technologically challenged, so my watching him build a full-scale virtual training tower inside the Nassau Coliseum (in less than 30 seconds) was nothing short of mind blowing to me.
CARL J. HADDON is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board and the director of Five Star Fire Training LLC, which is sponsored, in part, by Volvo North America. He served as assistant chief and fire commissioner for the North Fork (ID) Fire Department and is a career veteran of more than 25 years in the fire and EMS services in southern California. He is a certified Level 2 fire instructor and an ISFSI member and teaches Five Star Auto Extrication and NFPA 610 classes across the country.
Carl Haddon will present “Understanding and Mitigating New Vehicle Extrication and Electric Vehicle Fire Challenges for Today and Tomorrow” at FDIC International in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
