Rookie Firefighters Learn to Battle Simulated Flames

Smoke could be seen pouring out of a trailer behind the new Bristol Fire Station Headquarters on Saturday morning, but it wasn't an accident. Bristol and Warren firefighters spent the morning training and testing future firefighters with simulated fire scenarios in Bristol's burn trailer.

The 17 men and women, who had all passed the written exam, spent the morning working in teams to put out several simulated fires to pass the hands-on portion of the final. 

In training for a basement fire, students had to carry a hose down an engulfed set of stairs to get to the "basement" floor, where they were immersed in total darkness, with the exception of the flames. Inside the trailer, the students had to maneuver their way around maze-like walls through the darkness and smoke.

"In a simulated basement fire, we look to see how they handle fire coming up the stairs," said Warren Fire Chief Alexander Galinelli. "We can even simulate noises, like a dog barking, so they have to learn to keep a cool head and learn to feel their way around like they would do in a real fire."

Galinelli says that of the 17 students in the course, he hopes to get 12 new firefighters to add to the department. If the students pass, they will receive certificates and can be voted in to their respective fire companies.