From left: Kitchener fire chief Tim Beckett; Peter Benninger, president/broker of record, Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty and Waterloo fire chief Lyle Quan.

Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty has presented the Kitchener and Waterloo fire departments with new teaching equipment, giving them the ability to conduct realistic fire safety lessons using LED-driven digital flames, electronic sensors, laser extinguishers and simulated smoke.

Funded by the 8th edition of the Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty Street Map and Service Guide, the high-tech props have been installed in the refurbished Fire Safety Education Van. The van was originally donated by the brokerage in 1995. The new props allow fire prevention officers to simulate a full-scale kitchen emergency and an industrial/workplace electrical fire. Using a laser training extinguisher, trainees learn how to effectively douse digital flames that extinguish, grow or rekindle in response to the trainee’s actions, putting the fire out only when proper extinguisher technique is used. A working smoke detector and interactive 911 telephone prop complete the realistic scenario.