“Everyone must have completed the basic training,” said Ruud Braaksma of the Professional Competence Department of the municipality of Hollands Kroon. His ultimate plan is for all 160 volunteers of the municipality to master the basic principles of realistic staging.
Not all volunteers were enthusiastic immediately. Some gave up their free evening to go to training and were content with a flame board themselves. "Why should that be different?" Eventually they were at FireWare in Wieringerwerf. And after the first staging, the mobile phones appeared to proudly take pictures of the achieved result.
After a part of theory, the group is divided into four groups. All with their own mobile workbench containing all kinds of staging materials: a flame projector, a small smoke machine, firespots, a mini silk flame and a SoundBox. There is a wheelie bin next to the workbench, which is quickly "set on fire".
At the end of the training, the participants master all the basic principles. And they can show that. FireWare has two small houses in the training room. It seems easy in miniature, but setting out a staging on three square meters is still a real challenge. Soon there is also a competitive element involved. Who is the first to put the house on fire? You should actually aim that spot at a window..” “Yes! That's how beautiful it is! ”
With only smoke and spotlights, the desired effect does not seem to be achieved: “It's like a lantern ...” The projector is added. "No, it is still too static." After the silk flame, the flame picture seems complete. Yet something is still missing. And yes, there comes the noise. Here and there, there still is some judgment, taken away and put back again, but then the time has come: the house is burning.
"Exercises should be taken more realistically and seriously"
After the training, the volunteers clearly think differently about the "old staging": “No explanation is needed anymore. Previously you had to put up signs and give an explanation. This way it is fun to set up an exercise! "
