MARQUETTE, MI-- The City of Marquette Fire Department is using buildings on NMU’s campus that are slated for demolition for training this week.
Captain Jeff Green says personnel are using the empty Summit Street apartments to practice rescuing downed firefighters, rescuing trapped victims, forcible entry, and ventilation.
He says firefighters will use a generator fueled by straw and small pieces of hardwood to create smoke, but not as much heat as an actual structure fire. Green says they want to stay safe, but keep it as realistic as possible.
“We don’t experience the amount of fires that we used to, so skills, knowledge, those kind of things, tend to dull if you don’t use them enough. And using an actual building, actual structure, and smoking it up makes it more realistic,” he says.
Green says most of the training will be done this week—especially Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He notes people shouldn’t be concerned if they see smoke coming from the Summit Street apartments, but they should be careful and give firefighters room to train.
