Seymour Gets Fire Safety Grant

What makes a deputy fire marshal feel like a kid at Christmas?”

An $8,000 BullEx Intelligent Training System, of course.

Seymour Deputy Fire Marshal Timm Willis doesn’t have the kit in his hands just yet, but he just received word that he’ll be receiving an $8,000 grant from the Katharine Matthies Foundation to buy it.

The fund, managed by the Bank of America, gives money to programs in the Valley that support education, health and human services.

The BullEx system is designed to teach people how to safely use fire extinguishers, by giving them live, in-the-field experience.

The high-tech system comes with a portable fire device and fire extinguishers to put the fire out.

It’s basically a really advanced gas grill,” Willis said.

See the video from NBCs Today” for a demonstration. The device is shown about 3 minutes and 20 seconds into the video.

The propane-powered grill produces a contained fire, which participants in the demonstrations then try to extinguish with specialized fire extinguishers. When the water hits certain sensors on the grill, the fire goes out.

The idea is to get people comfortable with the use of fire extinguishers, Willis said. 

Fire marshals will use the device to train large groups, such as students at Seymour High School and employees at Seymour Town Hall.

We’re really trying to expand our fire prevention program. Most fire prevention education stops in third grade,” Willis said. 

A typical training session will include a short introduction to the device, a safety briefing and a demonstration by the fire department.

Then it’s all in the hands of the participants.

The people want to see a fire, not sit in a classroom,” Willis said. 

The device is safe for children as young as 8‑years-old.

Statistics show that kids doing a fun activity are much more likely to retain info from the training,” Willis said. 

The town has already placed an order and the BullEx system is expected to arrive in Seymour from the Albany, N.Y.-based company later this week.

Keep local reporting alive. Donate.ValleyIndy.org