Former School to Host Fire Training
PIERRE, S.D. – If you see smoke rolling out of McKinley Elementary School later this week, don’t be alarmed. It’s local firefighters who are responsible for it.
Pierre’s volunteer fire department will utilize the former school building for training Thursday evening. Specifically, the volunteer team will practice basic firefighting skills and anticipate using artificial smoke to simulate a real fire scenario. A number of basic firefighter skills will be evaluated during the training including Incident Command, hose line advancement, search and rescue and apparatus function.
“This is an excellent opportunity to use a space where we can train like it’s the real deal” said Fire Chief Ian Paul. “These opportunities are not always available, and we try to take advantage to continue to improve our skills at all levels within our department.”
The Pierre School District owns the McKinley Elementary School building and is allowing the fire department to take advantage of the empty space. The exercise is expected to begin around 6 p.m. and wrap up about 10 p.m.
Pierre’s Volunteer Fire Department has 65 members. In 2015, the group completed more than 5,000 hours of training and responded to more than 190 incidents.
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