By: Cameron Thrash
The Ballentine Station 20 sign outside of the Columbia Fire Department. Also known as the Dutch Fork Fire Rescue, this station was founded in 1979.
Captain Christopher Knoche stands in front of the Columbia Rescue 2 truck. “As the officer, I’m like the supervising person here at the station on our shift, so I’ll get into things like checking our morning calendar to see if we’ve got community events or demos or training schedules throughout the day.”
Captain Christopher Knoche squats next to the spreader and cutter tools. The spreader tool is often referred to as the "jaws of life."
Captain Christopher Knoche opens the jaws of life. This tool is used to dent car doors, bend metal, and move debris that may be trapping someone in a dangerous place.
Engineer David Palevich suits up for a hose demo. Firefighters need to perform demos between calls to ensure the equipment works properly.
The piston intake valve on the fire engine. The piston intake valve connects to a fire hydrant or a tanker to regulate water flow into the fire engine.
Captain Christopher Knoche stands next to the tanker's drop tank. Tankers are used to transport water to places without fire hydrants.
Captain Christopher Knoche discusses the hoses on the fire engine. The hoses can discharge hundreds of gallons of water every minute.
Captain Christopher Knoche sits in the back of the Rescue 2 truck. “An engine primarily carries water and hose, and so their primary function is fire extinguishing. And then when a rescue goes to a call, our primary function is to actually perform search and rescue.”
A training dummy lies on the floor of the fire station. Training dummies are used during search-and-rescue drills to simulate an unresponsive person.
Captain Christopher Knoche discusses the fire engine's pump panel. The engineer uses the pump panel to control water pressure and direct water from various sources.
A water fire extinguisher, a self-contained breathing apparatus, and a CO2 fire extinguisher on the fire rescue truck. A self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, supplies breathable air while fighting fires.
Captain Christopher Knoche rests his hand on the Rescue 2 generator. The generator provides portable power, ensuring crews have power when responding to calls in remote areas.
A rescue pack and a self-contained breathing apparatus on the side of the rescue truck. This rescue pack is specifically designed to rescue firefighters, containing an extra SCBA air cylinder.
Captain Christopher Knoche retrieves a multi-purpose saw from the rescue truck. Firefighters must be prepared to cut a wide variety of materials during different emergency situations.
Senior Firefighter Mark Honeg attaches a 2 1/2-inch supply line to a fire hydrant. A 2 1/2-inch line can distribute up to 500 gallons per minute.
Engineer Davis Palevich demonstrates the use of a 2 1/2-inch fog nozzle. A fog nozzle allows a firefighter to adjust the water stream from a straight stream to a wide-angle cone.
Medical bags and equipment in the cab of the Rescue 2 truck. Firefighters organize this equipment, allowing for rapid response in emergencies.
Fire engine 20 sits parked outside the fire station. Between calls, the engine stays fully loaded so firefighters can immediately respond to emergencies.
A sign outside the Columbia Fire Department encourages locals to become volunteer firefighters. The Columbia Fire Department currently has about 12 volunteer firefighters.
