More Than Meets the Façade: Balcony Remediation and Training Readiness
By Jonathan Hanson, CEO / Managing Director, Symtech Fire
In the August 2025 edition of International Fire & Safety Journal (“More than meets the façade: balcony remediation explained”), James McCallan of Anamore underscores a vital shift in building safety: balancing the remediation of high-rise building façades now increasingly demands simultaneous attention to balconies. While façade cladding has long been the focus—especially in wake of tragedies like Grenfell, England —the article makes a compelling case that balconies, often constructed with combustible materials such as timber decking and joists, pose critical risks that can exacerbate fire spread.
Regulatory evolution, including 2019’s Regulation 7(2), mandates use of non-combustible materials for external walls and attachments, balconies included. This has shifted design norms, limiting aesthetic choices (e.g. eliminating laminated glass) and raising structural complexity International Fire & Safety Journal. The article highlights how remediation increasingly reveals issues like improperly coated or ungalvanized steel components vulnerable to environmental corrosion—and how combining balcony remediation with façade work can significantly reduce costs, disruption, and resident inconvenience International Fire & Safety Journal.
The Training Imperative: How Symtech Helps Fire Departments Respond
At Symtech Fire, we recognize that while remediation improves structural safety, firefighters must still be prepared for active balcony fires—scenarios rife with hazardous materials, unpredictable fire behaviors, and limited access. That’s why our balcony fire simulators, especially when integrated into block and metal fire training towers, are indispensable.
(photo credit: Chattanooga Fire Department, TN – Facebook post March 26, 2025)
- Realistic, Repeatable Training on Structural Tiers
Simulators mounted on modular block or metal towers allow realistic replication of balcony fires at height—enabling firefighters to practice apparatus and hose placement, ventilation, access, and suppression techniques under lifelike thermal conditions. - Dynamic Fire Scenarios on Balcony Facades
Our BBQ Grill Fire Simulator ST and ST‑PRO models are designed for outdoor, facade‑style burns—most notably on balcony mock‑ups. They replicate scenarios including grease fires on BBQ decks and adjacent LPG cylinder fires, all controlled wirelessly and with variable flame heights (4.5 million to 60 million BTU/hr). This realism allows teams to train for evolving threats—from small fires spreading rapidly across combustible decking to full‑scale fires with structure extension. - Durability, Portability, and Safety
Constructed of heavy‑gauge, corrosion‑resistant steel with functional lids enabling varied scenarios, these simulators are NFPA 1402‑compliant and built for repeated, realistic training. - Flexible Integration with Training Towers
Whether built into fixed block towers or assembled in metal training towers, the ST and ST‑PRO simulators can function as standalone balcony units or be incorporated into full exterior façade and interior training drills—bridging the gap between structural demolition/remediation awareness and operational firefighting skills. - Progressive Scenarios with Wireless Control
Particularly with the ST‑PRO model, trainers can initiate progressive fire growth—mimicking how a fire on a balcony might escalate—allowing trainees to observe, react, and adapt as the scenario changes.
Integrating Simulators into Training Programs
- Assessment of Remediation Knowledge Gaps
Understand structural fire risks highlighted during remediation—combustible decking, corroded fittings and assemblies, or poor integration—and tailor simulator scenarios accordingly. - Module-Based Scenario Development
Use the BBQ Fire Simulator as the core of a training module: simulate a grease or cylinder fire on a mock balcony, progressing to extension into adjacent building volumes as trainees advance in skill. - Controlled Escalation Training
Employ the ST‑PRO’s wireless controls to create escalating threat scenarios, testing decision-making, evacuation, hose advancement, and coordinated suppression under dynamic conditions. - Post‑Scenario Review and Remediation Awareness
After simulations, conduct debriefs that link training performance with remediation challenges—highlighting how improved materials, coatings, and design (like those addressed in the article) mitigate the risks trainees just faced.
About the BBQ Grill Fire Simulator
For more details on the barbecue‑style simulator used to replicate balcony fire scenarios, see Symtech’s product page: BBQ Grill Fire Simulator ST & ST‑PRO—featuring propane-fueled, highly controllable burn zones, wireless operation, and versatile installation options. For more information, visit BBQ Fire Props – Symtech.
Bentonville Fire Department in AR was the first to incorporate Symtech’s technology in their “Commissioner” model Training Tower by Fire Facilities. Fire Chief Justin Scantlin envisioned a scenario where a balcony barbecue fire would spread and extend horizontally into an adjacent apartment dwelling and Symtech executed just that, providing a layout and prop design in the adjacent apartment that can simulate TV Stand/Entertainment Center, Kitchen Stove, or Bookcase fires using Symtech’s interchangeable prop technology (refer to Interchangeable Fire Simulator – Symtech). Chattanooga TN, Imperial Valley College CA, and Sarasota FL are the next facilities to incorporate Symtech’s state-of-the-art technology in a similar manner.
In Summary
Balcony remediation may not always capture attention as the façade does, but it is equally critical to building safety. As remediation programs evolve, so too must fire training. Symtech Fire’s balcony fire simulators—integrated into block or metal training towers—provide fire departments with authentic, repeatable, and controllable balcony fire scenarios. The result? A higher level of preparedness, cohesion with ongoing remediation strategies, and, ultimately, enhanced protection for both firefighters and residents.
About the Author:
Jon Hanson has more than 20 years of experience in fire training facilities and simulators, having worked on more than 370 training facility projects in his career. He recently spoke at the NFPA Conference as the SME on “Emerging Technologies in Live Fire Training Simulators and Facilities.” For more information, or to setup a private meeting with the Author, please contact us at info@symtechfire.com.
Sources & Credits:
McCallan, James, “More than meets the façade: balcony remediation explained,” International Fire & Safety Journal, August 2025 International Fire & Safety Journal