Hospital Ready to Support Fire Education Efforts with New Trailer

Utah Valley Regional Medical Center is now able to help rural communities educate the public on fire safety, thanks to a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The hospital recently purchased a fire safety trailer using the FEMA grant money. The trailer simulates a kitchen environment and people inside must react correctly to a variety of hazards.
“Visitors walk into the briefing section of the trailer and they’re told what is going to happen as they go through. It’s really a high-tech, hands-on experience,” said Jack Price, safety and technology coordinator at Utah Valley Regional.

The fire hazards that visitors encounter inside the trailer are created digitally through a computer. The trailer is programmed externally through an iPad and can take participants through situations ranging from a toaster fire to earthquakes. Visitors waiting in line for their turn can also watch what’s happening on television monitors outside the trailer.

Utah Valley Regional hopes to send the trailer to rural areas that don’t have such a resource. A trained staff member from the hospital will transport the trailer and educate local fire fighters on how to use it properly. The local fire fighters would then help residents through the experience. Businesses, apartment complexes, nursing homes or any other place where people need to learn about fire safety may also be interested in using the trailer.