Fairfield Fire Department Conducts Live Fire Training Exercises

The Fairfield Fire Department conducted live fire training Monday morning in which firefighters were required to extinguish an actual fire, locate and rescue a mannequin using thermal imaging cameras and other exercises.

The training included nearly all on-duty personnel at the Joseph Elias Training Fire Training Center under the direction of Assistant Chief Schuyler Sherwood.

“This training helps to build confidence in our crews as well as to polish their skills,” Sherwood said in a press release. “Live fire operations are very physically challenging and require a good deal of direct supervision.”

Firefighters in full protective clothing are placed in a “controlled environment” and are required to extinguish an actual fire in a burn building as well as perform all the other fire ground tasks such as incident command, ventilation to remove the smoke, and emergency maneuvers to rescue any firefighters in distress.

The training also provides an opportunity for firefighters to operate equipment such as the pumps and ladder trucks.

“We are very fortunate in Fairfield to have such a highly trained fire department and chief officers that work with the leaders of our community to provide the fire department with the resources to safely and effectively do our job,” Sherwood said. “We are also thankful to have access to a regional fire school in our community that has the infrastructure for this type of training.”

Construction on a new fire school is scheduled to begin within a few months, according to the press release.

Photos courtesy of the Fairfield Fire Department

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