POTD: Just another day at the office

Metro Wire Staff

Firefighter/Paramedic Jeremiah Parker returns his New York hook to an exterior ladder while participating in a training exercise on July 22.

Members of the Stevens Point Fire Department took advantage of the vacant home at 1000 Union St. on Thursday to train on working in smoke-filled rooms and forcing entry to interior rooms during a fire. 

The SPFD trains inside privately-owned but residential and commercial properties as often as possible, with owners’ permission, on numerous elements of firefighting and victim rescue. Properties scheduled for demolition offer some of the best training opportunities, like training burns and working inside smoky rooms.

Capt. Paul Mattlin said the “smoke” for Thursday’s training was really just fog from a smoke machine and posed no danger to anyone. 

The Union St. home is scheduled for demolition on Monday.