Firefighters from four area fire departments participate in a live-fire drill where two buildings on Wilson Street were burned. Photo by Tim Ferguson.
Firefighters from four area fire departments gathered in Centralia Saturday for a daylong training drill that included the live burn of two vacant buildings on Wilson Street.
In addition to Centralia City Firemen, Kell, Sandoval, and Odin Firemen were in attendance. Centralia City Fire Lieutenant Chad Gormann put together the training program.
“We do a lot of mutual aid to other departments so by us getting together and working as a group we get some name recognition, we get used to each other’s gear, we learn to work with each other and get to teach each other some rescue techniques. So today we concentrated on R.I.T. which is firefighter down Rapid Intervention Technique.”
Gormann says some of the newer firemen got to experience some situations that were new to them.
“Some of the guys from the outlining departments got like zero air-pack time in. So some of them are getting exposed to the smoke and zero visibility conditions, some are getting hands-on training on RIP, some are getting time on the air-packs which they wouldn’t be able to do in normal conditions.”
Gormann says there was also training for the officers.
“One of the things we’ve been leaning towards is officer training so we are trying to incorporate that with the firefighter training. So while the firefighters are in the house, the officers are controlling the scene outside as well as learning to communicate with the firefighters.”
At least 30 firemen from the various departments took part. A guest speaker was from the Christopher Fire Department who talked about a death of a firefighter fighting a fire and the impact it had on their department.
Firefighters work to extinguish fire during Saturday drill on Wilson Avenue in Centralia. Photo by Tim Ferguson.
Flames shoot out of home on Wilson Avenue set on fire as part of a drill for four area fire departments in Centralia on Saturday. Photo by Tim Ferguson.
Firefighters enter a burning home during Saturday’s drill to help rescue another firefighter. Photo by Tim Ferguson.
