On Tuesday, May 22, the Fulda Fire Department trained at a rural home in Nobles County offered to the department for such purposes. The training included forcible entry into the building, training with SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus), advancing hose lines, searching for victims, and obstacle management while searching.
In addition, the firefighters practiced the setting and stabilizing of ladders, radio communication within a building while using SCBA, accountability of personnel, resource management, breaching of walls, emergency extrication of downed victims, and evacuation of trapped fire personnel. Special thanks to Gerald Duerr for the use of his property and to Fulda Lumber for the donation of building supplies to make the training realistic and effective.
A rescue dummy was used, composed of unserviceable fire hose and an old coverall with attributes similar to that of an unresponsive victim.
The Fulda Fire Department is comprised of volunteers from the Fulda community who are trained and eager to help their neighbors in the event of a fire, natural disaster, automobile accident, mass casualty event, or hazardous materials incident. Each member is certified by the State of Minnesota to national fire fighting standards. They train monthly to retain proficiency and increase efficiency.
