Firefighters train to tackle high-rise emergencies in Ann Arbor
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Firefighters risk their lives every day to help those during their most vulnerable moments.
How they prepare can result in a matter of life or death. Right now, there are over 40 high-rises in the City of Ann Arbor, with more high-rises being built every year.
That makes a firefighter's training much more crucial in an emergency.
"As we like to say, there's no 912…it's 911, and we're it…so no matter what is being thrown our way, we have to be able to solve that problem," said Ann Arbor City Fire Chief Mike Kennedy.
This week, Kennedy says his team of firefighters along with other crews from southeast Michigan, Lansing and Toledo are being shown first-hand how to tackle a fire in a steep building.
The training occurred at the Forest Street parking structure in downtown Ann Arbor.
"All of our firefighters have to be trained to do this because if we have a high-rise fire, all of our on-duty staff are going to have to deploy," Kennedy stated.
The training was led by Fire Captain Maurice Doyle and Captain Brent Brooks of the Toronto, Canada Fire Department.
Brooks and Doyle gave crews the tools when faced with a potential emergency at a high-rise building.
"We use different hoses, different nozzles. Whenever we have a fire above the second floor, we usually go off what's called a standpipe which is a pipeline in the building. Our firefighters are learning different techniques to stretch off a standpipe, and also A B, C and D plan that if we can't stretch off a standpipe, sometimes you might have to attack from the floor below or above if it's a wind-driven fire," said Kennedy.
Once shown the ropes, firefighters made their way to the Forest Street parking structure's roof to test these tools.
"Sometimes what we think is going to work is not going to work, so that's really the focus of today is our initial attack plan didn't work, so what are some other plans," Kennedy said
While high-rise calls happen daily for these first responders, Kennedy says constant preparation leads to success.
"We want them to have the knowledge, skill and confidence that if they are faced with one of these emergencies that they have the training to handle it," said Kennedy.
Kennedy says Ann Arbor is leading the way in high-rise training and says the department plans to continue holding training sessions like this in the future.
