A Brentwood home will be burned as part of a live fire training exercise on May 17 in partnership with Hughes-Edwards Builders, the Brentwood Fire & Rescue Department and the Williamson County Rescue Squad.
The over 3,000 square foot home, located near the intersection of Hillsboro Road and Old Hickory Blvd., has significant wiring and structural code issues and is not salvageable for the family who will be building a farmhouse style home in the future.
“Today’s standards and regulations for construction have changed drastically and it would have been cost-prohibitive to invest in renovation to bring the home up to codes,” Edwards said. “The new custom home, located on four beautiful acres, will be a farmhouse style home built by Hughes-Edwards Builders. Rather than demolish the old home, we took this opportunity to partner with the local fire department on a training exercise.”
Edwards said the excellent suggestion to partner with the fire department on the training exercise came from Brentwood Codes Inspector Doug Stanphill. “We are totally grateful to Doug Stanphill for coming up with this great opportunity for all of us,” Edwards said.
Brentwood Fire & Rescue Shift Commander Capt. Scott Ellis said the home burning is a unique training opportunity.
“We get so few opportunities for training on a real home in a controlled environment and we are really grateful to have this chance especially for our younger firefighters,” Ellis said.
Firefighters from both Brentwood Fire & Rescue and the Williamson County Rescue Squad will complete several training evolutions at the home designed to enhance skills and improve coordination between agencies. Signs will be posted at the home alerting the neighbors to the training exercise.
Edwards said not only is this a unique training opportunity for local firefighters, but it is a good time to remind homeowners to take precautions to avoid a house fire.
1. Kitchen fires from cooking are the number one cause of house fires. Never leave the kitchen unattended when cooking and keep flammable objects away from the oven or stove. Every home should have a small fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
2. Be on the lookout for faulty wiring in older homes. Fuses blowing out easily and lights dimming when an appliance is in use are warning signs that your wiring might be in need of an update.
3. Make sure your heating equipment is checked on a regular basis. Regularly maintaining your HVAC ensuring no debris is obstructing the unit. Chimneys should be cleaned and inspected annually!
4. While doing laundry, never leave the house when the dryer is in use, regularly clean dryer vents and always clear the lint screen.
5. Use the recommended wattage for light fixtures because too high of a watt size can cause the fixture to overheat.
6. Keep cleaning materials away from heat sources and make sure they are stored in a cool, ventilated area.
