On-call firefighters from the north of Hampshire took part in a realistic training scenario earlier this week.
The exercise saw crews faced with challenging conditions in a smoke-filled commercial property.
Firefighters were tasked with conducting a search and rescue operation to locate casualties reported to have been inside the building on London Road in Hook.
Organisers used harmless synthetic smoke to replicate the conditions firefighters could come up against at real incidents.
The training scenario was arranged by Hartley Wintney firefighters Becky Wallis and Chris Sellick, with support from Crew Manager Dave Homersham and Firefighter Carl Sellick.
Firefighter Chris Sellick from Hartley Wintney Fire Station said:
“Exercises like this are vital in developing and maintaining our skills. They provide a level of realism you can’t recreate on the station drill yard.
“Today’s scenario has helped us to put our skills into practice, take away learning points and build our experience, so we are best prepared when we are faced with similar incidents in the community.
“The opportunity to train in realistic settings such as this doesn’t come around too often, so we’re very grateful for being allowed to use the site.”
Local residents were informed of the training exercise in advance and the on-call firefighters at Hartley Wintney would like to thank them again for their understanding, as well as thanking Stratfield Homes for kindly granting crews the opportunity to use their site.
On-call crews are made up of firefighters from all backgrounds, working and living in their local communities, they respond to incidents when they are alerted on their pager.
Being an on-call firefighter means people become part of a close-knit team, gain a range of new skills, earn additional money which fits around existing jobs and commitments, while making a difference within the local community.
Visit www.oncallfire.uk to find out more about becoming an on-call firefighter and making a difference in your community.
