ontributed by Oviedo Fire Department
The Oviedo Fire Department conducted training at a home slated for demolition that was generously donated by a resident.
The home of Stephen Schenck is a two-story home located on East Magnolia Street. Schenck allowed firefighters from all shifts to train in several scenarios inside and outside of the home from January 2-11. The location added to the training due to the limited access that was available, creating new challenges for the firefighters to overcome.
Firefighters participated in several training exercises in morning and afternoon rotations. The exercises include rapid intervention, search and rescue, bailout, hose line deployment, fire suppression techniques, forcible entry, vertical and horizontal ventilation, on top of valuable team building. By rotating all shifts through the training, every member of the department had the chance to refine their skills in what could happen in a residential area.
“My wife and I donated the use of the home after seeing Oviedo Firefighters do training in the hotel in 2025,” said Stephen Schenck. “We figured it was a good way to allow a different and more lengthy type of training to the firefighters. We have seen how hard our emergency service personnel train and prepare and were happy to be able to help.”
Mr. Schenck went on to add “I went by to see how things were going and spent an hour watching the training and learned a lot about how the small things make a difference. Having those who have experience give you the little, nuanced things that, in the case of firefighting could save lives and property is a great asset that was shared.”
With the home unoccupied, firefighters safely executed a range of high-stakes drills designed to prepare them for real emergencies.
"We cannot thank Mr. Schenck enough for the use of his home," said Fire Chief Michael Woodward. "This was a great way for our newest firefighters to get real-world training alongside our seasoned firefighters."
The generous donation demonstrated how community support plays a vital role in strengthening emergency response and keeping Oviedo residents safe.
