With more than 80 volunteer and career firefighters, Clallam County Fire District 3 always is searching for more efficient and effective training equipment.

Recently, the district purchased a fire pump trainer from FD Training International in Fort Worth, Texas.

The state-of-the-art trainer will allow instructors to provide hands-on training when working with the fire engines positioned throughout the district.

The pump trainer is able to recirculate water, eliminating the need to flow some 800 gallons per minute needed to simulate real firefighting situations and help conserve water.

During one recent training session, the use of the trainer resulted in a savings of at least 110,000 gallons.

In addition, the trainer can simulate emergency conditions such as a hose failure or equipment malfunction, giving operators the chance to practice a wide variety of changing scenarios. Training will require fewer personnel and enable personnel to spend more training time operating the equipment they use on a regular basis.

According to Assistant Chief Ben Andrews, "This trainer will allow our firefighters to train while on shift rather than calling them back for overtime and taking equipment out of service. We can also bring the trainer out to our volunteer stations so they can train in their response areas."

For the first time, pump operators can evaluate their performance accurately and document the results by using the new trainer. Training results can be graphed and printed, allowing students to see clearly how well they are performing.

In addition, the pump trainer will be used to complete the annual pump testing required for every fire engine in the district. Instead of building a pump-testing facility, the new trainer saved the fire district almost 60 percent of the cost of an on-site testing facility.