Pinellas County Fire Departments to Train at Graham Park

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – Beginning tonight, the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue Department is holding a large-scale training exercise for more than 1200 firefighters from 18 Pinellas County Fire Departments at the St. Petersburg Housing Authority’s (SPHA) Graham Park building in downtown St. Petersburg.

SPHA Chief Executive Officer Darrell Irions said, “The fire departments needed a safe place to train for High Rise fires, and the housing authority has the Graham building available. We have worked with the Pinellas County Sheriff‘s Office before on smaller training exercises with great success. We believe that our entire community will benefit from this type of training and these inter-agency partnerships.”

According to the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue Department, this training event will allow comprehensive hands-on experience and will create an opportunity for fire personnel to learn, apply, and give feedback regarding “Best Practices” in high-rise fire fighting operations. The outcome of this event will help craft a regional high-rise policy and create consistent standards for the region. Demonstrations will include High-rise Firefighting Operations, High-rise Aerial Rescue Operations, High-rise Evacuation Procedures, and High-rise Water supply and Hose Placement.

The fire departments that are scheduled to participate in the training are Clearwater, Dunedin, Eastlake, Gulfport, Largo, Lealman, Madeira Beach, Oldsmar, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Park, Pinellas Suncoast, Safety Harbor, Seminole, South Pasadena, St. Petersburg Beach, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, and Treasure Island.

Training activities will take place at Graham Park on selected dates throughout April, May and June.

IMPORTANT MEDIA NOTE: The High-Rise drill starts tonight in case you get calls of a possible High-Rise fire in St. Petersburg. Tonight’s drill is for instructors and trainers only. TONIGHT IS NOT FOR THE MEDIA. On April 22, members of the media will be allowed an up close look inside the training event, discussing high-rise fire fighting tactics, and following fire companies as they advance through the training course. You will be allowed total access to the building during the drill. There will be water flowing and smoke conditions, but no live fire. Deputy Fire Marshall/PIO Lt. Joel Granata is coordinating the Media Night event. Please contact him at 727-893-7709 or joel.granata@st.pete.org for more details.

About St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA):

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) is a public body corporate that has a 70‐year history of developing and administering affordable housing programs in the city of St. Petersburg. Consistently scored as a “High Performer” on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assessments, SPHA provides housing assistance to more than 3,400 families residing in St. Petersburg. The authority has received national awards and recognition for its innovative programs, including the Economies of Scale program, the Jordan Park HOPE VI redevelopment program, the
Section 3 program and the Fraud Recovery program. More information about the authority’s programs and services can be found at www.stpeteha.org.