In their boots Public and city officials spend one day as firefighters

By TONY RAAP
TODAY’S NEWS-HERALD
They raced into the building as white smoke billowed from the second floor. They searched through each room, checking whether anyone was still in the building. In a room near the back, they found a man lying on the floor, presumably overcome by smoke inhalation. Two of them picked him up and carried him to safety, completing
the rescue in a matter of minutes. This, however, was not a real fire, and these were not real firefighters. It was a simulation, one of several exercises staged by the Lake
Havasu City Fire Department. It was called FireOps 101, and it was meant to give public officials and city staff the chance to live a day in the life of a firefighter. They experienced everything that a firefighter would normally encounter: extricating a victim trapped inside a car, performing CPR on someone experiencing cardiac arrest, even witnessing a fire up close inside a flashover chamber. Councilman Brian Wedemeyer said he was glad he took part in the exercises. “I gained an even greater appreciation for the amount of knowledge, professionalism and bravery our firefighters possess,” he said. “Our community is so lucky to have such an awesome Fire department. I would be surprised if there was a better department in Arizona.” FireOps 101 lasted more than five hours. By the end of the day, Wedemeyer said he was exhausted. “I had no idea how physically demanding it was going to be. I thought we were going to see some presentations and maybe do a few things. But they actually ave us a small taste of what it is like to be a firefighter,” he said. “It was extra special for me because my brother is now serving in Iraq as an Air Force firefighter. Now ave a little bit better idea of what he does out there.” One of the hardest parts was getting into uniform, councilwoman Margaret Nyberg said. “It is very heavy, and I felt like a toddler in a snowsuit and needed a lot of help to get into it and out of it,” she said. “I thought the face mask for the breathing apparatus would be more uncomfortable, but it didn't bother me at all.” She and Wedemeyer were most impressed with the flashover chamber, which got up to 1,000 degrees near the ceiling and 300-500 degrees toward the floor. “Seeing the flames coming over our heads was surreal and one I hope I never see in a real situation,” Nyberg said. Wedemeyer said the chamber felt like sitting inside an oven. “It really helps you appreciate firsthand the power of a fully involved fire and the potential danger to those firefighters
at the scene,” he said. You may contact the reporter at raap@havasunews.com.