Lake Hiawatha Fire Department

1st Company Due Drill 7 May 2006

The Lake Hiawatha Fire Department maintains their skills by having fire drills three times a month. Topics include bread & butter operations such as hose advancement, searches, or ladder placement as well as things we rarely do such as warehouse fires. On this night we practiced with ground ladders and 643's aerial ladder. The men practiced carrying ladders, correctly placing them and entry and exits from structures via ladders.

In the photographs below we are at the Morris County Fire & Police Academy. The Academy has a staff of certified instructors who provide training in modern classrooms and on a fully equipped fire ground. For this drill we used burn building with a Class A fire of Hay & wood.

 

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The officers convene at the start of the drill as Junior Firefighter Young looks on.
Firefighter Endresz & Firefighter B.Cleary Ham it up before we get started. FF Cleary is eager to get to work as his gear is BRAND NEW.
The men prepare to make entry as the instructors discuss the scenario.
Learning by Doing: Jr. FF's Skomial, Young & Petillo handling various roles on the fire ground.
The raging inferno, well burning hay & wood...
Firefighters Brown & Fava man the safety line to protect the stairs.

These unknown firefighters raise a ladder to allow for emergency egres from the second floor.
Hay sure generates some smoke.

Lt. C.Skomial briefs his crew before the next evolution.
Jr. Firefighters Petillo & Young change FF Endresz's SCBA bottle.

Captain Briant and his crew prepare to make entry, then do so.
Chief Sonzogni chats with the men between evolutions.
Jr. FF G. Skomial stand by to foot the ladder in case someone needs to make an emergency egress.
Chief Sonzogni observes Lt. Wellmans crew as they prepare to make entry.
Jr. FF Young ensures the interior crew has plenty of hose to extinguish the fire.
FF B. Cleary makes entry with his team

FF Egbert ensuring the mens' safety by providing a safe & reliable water supply
FF Gurth defines rehab
Between evolution rehab & review of the previous evolution
FF Fava sitting down on the job
Preparing for the last evolution of the day
Even FF Egbert saw interior action today
After the Drill Chief Sonzogni, Captain Briant, & Lt. Wellman discuss what needs to be done to return to service.