Prospect Height Fire District companies have spent the last 3 weeks training with neighboring fire departments. Fire crews from the area have participated in multi company drills at the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Academy (NIPSTA) in Glenview. These drills are held in the spring and fall of each year. Topics change from season to season, addressing training needs identified by the fire department training officers. Members of the area dispatch centers also trained with the companies during these simulated multi alarm incidents, gaining valuable skills for when the next "big fire" occurs.
This session involved 3 different scenerios. First evolution simulated rescue of trapped people in a 2 story single family house. The structure props at NIPSTA are made from steel cargo shipping containers, which can withstand years of training fires. Fires crews assigned to attack the fire (Engine Companies) pulled hose into the smoke to put out the fire and search for trapped people. Other fire crews (Truck compnies) laddered the windows above the fire area to search for trapped people. The second drill session was similar objectives, but this time simulating a high rise building(4 stories tall). The final drill was educating firefighters in a newer way to quickly remove an incapacitated fire fighter from their protective gear. this is done to provide CPR to the firefighter who possibly was having a heart attack.