Urbana firefighters participate in fire suppression training drills
Share and Follow


URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Urbana firefighters battled the heat to participate in extra training drills Friday afternoon.

The training, conducted in a parking garage on the University of Illinois campus, focused on house fires and how to use equipment the right way. For instance, on Thursday, bricks fell at the Florida Avenue Residence Hall in Urbana. That’s where two construction workers were injured and the Urbana Fire Department participated in that rescue.

Urbana Deputy Fire Chief Steve Doggett said as of Friday, the victims are still in the hospital, but their injuries are not life threatening. Friday’s training was scheduled 3 months prior to Thursday’s wall collapse.

“So, at this point, we’re trying to refine essentially our body mechanics of how we move a hose into a building while flowing water,” said Fire Lieutenant Josh Fitzsimmons.

Crews focused on fire suppression lessons from an out of state Chief. They worked on how to move a hose into a building while keeping the water pressure flowing.

“You have to understand where to put the water in order to effectively put out a fire and also understand flow pass and how putting water on an exhaust rather than an intake when you have that flow path, how that’s going to change the environment,” said Devin List, Probationary Firefighter. “And so just learning that kind of thing, it’s nothing I really thought about because it’s safe to assume that water is just going to put out the fire, and that’s not always going to be the case.”

Fitzsimmons said anything can occur at any time of the day when on the job.

“Always training for the worst possible scenario,” he said. “We’re always expecting the worst possible scenario and we’re hoping that it’s not that. However, we’re always mentally prepared and trained to the level that we need to meet for the public that we serve.”

List said these lessons apply to any fire training scenario. This includes commercial business settings, dumpster fires, apartment complexes and more.

“You know, we all think that we’re very capable of doing our job and we are,” List said. “But, you know, to take a step back and really think about what we’re doing.”

Deputy Chief Doggett said the goal is to always be ready for all scenarios. They plan to schedule another training within the next month.

“We always come back with another tidbit to make us more efficient, to make us more aware of what decisions we should be making based off of the situations we’re presented with,” Fitzsimmons said.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Justice Sought: Hamblen County Court Hears Case of Men Charged in Fatal Shooting

HAMBLEN COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — In connection with a shooting at a…

Tragic Incident: 17-Year-Old Fatally Struck by CSX Train in Brandon

Video Update: Stay Informed with the Latest Headlines from Tampa Bay BRANDON,…

Two Fatalities Reported in Sumter County as Golf Cart Fails to Stop at Red Light, According to FHP

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Tragedy struck near The Villages late Friday night…

Trump Advocates for 10% Cap on Credit Card Interest Rates Amid Bank Resistance

NEW YORK – President Donald Trump is resurrecting a campaign promise by…

A Comprehensive Timeline of the Escalating Protests in Iran

DUBAI – Iran has been gripped by waves of protests, which began…

Amidst Turmoil: How Myanmar’s Second Election Round Faces Armed Conflict Challenges

YANGON – Myanmar took a significant step in its political process on…

Florida to Unveil Exciting New License Plate Designs: Check Out the Latest Options for 2023

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As Florida gears up for its upcoming Legislative session,…

US Executes Strategic Retaliatory Strikes on ISIS in Syria Following Fatal Ambush

WASHINGTON – In a decisive response to last month’s deadly ambush in…