Starkville firefighters get creative with new training space
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Search and rescue is an important part of any firefighter’s job.
That means continuous training is crucial.
But taking time out of a busy schedule to take part in training isn’t always possible.
So, Firefighters at Fire Station 2 in Starkville are taking a DIY approach.
They took an underused storage space to create a training room.
The space features walls, windows, furniture, and other obstacles to make training as realistic as possible.
Sergeant Ken Britt said it is important for them to be able to deal with different scenarios.
“On your worst day, if we are coming for you, you want to know that hey we’ve actually trained on this. We don’t just go to the gym, we don’t just go run out on the road. We are actually in our gear and we are training to come and get you. These type prompts, especially a search and rescue prop, gives us the opportunity to practice that,” Britt said.
Being able to run different scenarios in one space allows them to speed up response time and keep citizens safe.
“We consider the safety of our citizens as our top priority by far so when we say we are coming after you that means we are training every day relentlessly to come and find you,” Britt said.
Britt said the current set-up is fine, for now, but they have bigger plans.
“We consider this a prop, a small-scale version. Our end goal would be a larger-scale facility. Something that truly represents many of the structures that already reside within the city limits of Starkville,” Britt said.
To make training more realistic and challenging, they can move obstacles around and change up the room layouts in the space.
