Firefighters practice fighting a structure fire with live training

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Fighting fires is the primary task of any firefighter and New Hanover County Fire Rescue wants to make sure their lineman are equipped and ready for the job.

Saturday, twenty-five firefighters and instructors participated in live training off of Castle Hayne Road.

“This is realistic,” Battalion Chief Training Michael Pinson said. “They can feel the heat and train in a safe manner.”

Pinson says this was a chance to train new and seasoned firefighters on live conditions. He says there were multiple objectives for the training.

“One of them being to safely be able to have the firefighters experience what it’s like to be in a fire feeling the heat and being able to see how fire behaves inside of a structure with trained instructors,” Pinson said.

Pinson says crews participate in live training whenever a suitable, acquired structure becomes available, but they tend to avoid the summer months because of the high heat.

“Every time you experience training like this, the firefighter gets that knowledge and experience to be able to apply it to a true emergency,” Pinson said.