CertainTeed Donates Type C Gypsum Board For South Dakota Firefighter Training Exercise
(Tampa, Fla.) – Thanks in part to a donation of CertainTeed® Type C Gypsum Board, more than 400 firefighters received valuable hands-on training at the 2011 South Dakota State Fire School, held in Aberdeen. With a limited budget, Aberdeen Rural Fire Department contacted CertainTeed for help in gathering building materials for a structure to be used in a positive pressure test — a fire suppression exercise held in a realistic setting.
“You can watch videos, look at pictures and talk to other firefighters about experiences they’ve had, but until you get a chance to face a fire toe-to-toe, you won’t know what it’s like,” says Jesse Luce, training officer for Aberdeen Rural Fire Department. “Participating in a positive pressure test is about as close as a firefighter will get to the real thing in training. If it had not been for CertainTeed’s gypsum board donation, we could not have afforded to put this important class together.”
Aberdeen Rural Fire Department used 90 pieces of CertainTeed 5/8-inch Type C gypsum board in the construction of a 30-foot by 30-foot structure with 8-foot ceilings. Following a design similar to a two-hour, fire-rated wall assembly, they installed two layers of the gypsum board on the walls and ceilings of the structure. Fires were set by igniting stacks of wood pallets, and flames were blown toward the back of the structure with an exhaust fan to protect the firefighters from any serious danger. Firefighters entered the building in two teams of six to put out the fire as quickly as possible.
The positive pressure test class was the most popular class of the four-day fire school event, and the structure withstood several repetitions of the class.
“The students did a good job of getting in there and getting the fires out before there was too much damage, so the structure lasted us throughout the whole event,” Luce says. “The CertainTeed gypsum board did exactly what it was supposed to do. It held its ground.”
CertainTeed Type C Gypsum Board is an interior gypsum board consisting of a solid set, fire-resistant gypsum core enclosed in a strong face and back paper. It features a specially formulated core providing fire resistance ratings when used in tested assemblies. Long edges are slightly tapered, allowing joints to be reinforced and concealed with joint tape and joint compound. The product is available in a variety of lengths and width, offering fire ratings up to four hours.
“It was a privilege for us to be a part of the South Dakota State Fire School this year and help firefighters get the training they need to save the lives of others,” says Brett Moore, CertainTeed Gypsum territory manager for South Dakota. “Donating materials for important events such as this is one way for us to give back to the communities and people who have supported us over the years.”
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3.2 billion in 2011. www.certainteed.com
###