South Sumter Middle School Builds Fire Training Dollhouses

Construction students at South Sumter Middle School built five miniature structures this spring for Sumter County Fire & EMS to use in firefighter training. On Monday, Division Chief John Davis burned one of the student-built dollhouses in a live demonstration before all five construction classes.

Eric Studebaker's students used jigsaws, miter saws, circular saws, air guns and hand tools to construct the dollhouses after fire department staff visited the school in early March to explain how the structures help firefighters study fire behavior before live burn training.

During the demonstration, Davis walked students through each stage of fire progression while the dollhouse burned, showing how quickly flames spread through a home. He stressed keeping bedroom doors closed at night to slow fire and improve survival odds.

Students observed temperature changes using thermal imaging cameras, the same tools firefighters use during emergency calls. "Training is one of the most important things we do in the fire service," Davis said. "These dollhouses give our new firefighters an opportunity to learn and interact with fire behavior in a safe and controlled environment."

Studebaker said the school will continue building training dollhouses for the fire department each year.