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Panama City fire training helped Bill Kramer Chevrolet staff extinguish truck fire
Summary
On July 15, Bill Kramer Chevrolet employees used extinguisher training provided free by the Panama City Fire Department to put out a truck fire outside the dealership, limiting property damage and exposure to toxic smoke, department officials and staff said.
On July 15, employees at Bill Kramer Chevrolet in Panama City used fire extinguisher training provided by the Panama City Fire Department to put out a truck fire outside the dealership, preventing what officials said could have been a larger emergency.
The training, delivered to dealership staff about three months earlier, taught participants how to remove an extinguisher, pull the pin, aim, squeeze and sweep at the base of a fire, a department trainer described. The simulator used in the course provides a real-feel extinguisher and a visualization of a fire on a screen.
"I remembered Lieutenant Pitts telling us that a lot of people forget to pull the pin," Witness said. "So as I was running across the parking lot, I heard that in my head, and I pulled the pin out before I got there."
The employee recounted that a salesman, Braden, ran into the salesroom to report the fire and that the truck driver had already exited the vehicle by the time staff reached it. "I grabbed [the extinguisher], ran out the door," the Witness said, and put the fire out, mitigating damage to the vehicle and nearby property.
Panama City Fire Department officials said the quick, trained response also reduced exposure to hazardous smoke. "The amount of toxic smoke that comes off these type of fires with all the plastic and fuels is not safe for anyone to breathe," Agency official 2 said. The official added that the prompt staff response "not only saved the property and the building, but it mitigated a lot of health and safety concerns for the other staff."
Department representatives emphasized that the fire-extinguisher training is offered free of charge to local businesses, organizations and community groups. Agency official described the department's community-outreach approach and said staff would be "more than willing" to provide training to interested organizations.
No formal action was recorded in the transcript; officials and employees framed the episode as an example of how basic, hands-on training can limit damage and protect bystanders during small vehicle fires.
