Firefighters Train for Real Life Scenarios

The Auburn Hills Fire Department takes training very seriously. Captains plan and orchestrate training scenarios during every single shift, from first aid to ladder work to moving through a tight crawl space in full gear tangled in holiday lights. Routine drills build essential skills, but every so often, unique opportunities come along in the shape of unfamiliar structures. The City recently purchased a piece of property for a future downtown parking lot addition that includes an old house. Before construction begins, the Fire Department was able to put the house to good use as a training environment.

Sometimes I think about what it takes to perform an unfamiliar task. Take cooking for example, and the mental focus required to cook a recipe you make once a year versus a favorite that you make once a month. Or think about swimming. How many repetitions and drills does it take until you're fully extending your arm and cutting through the water thumb-first like it is second nature? Is it really "just like riding a bike" unless you've put the practice and training into it first? For this very reason, the Fire Department logs in thousands of hours of training each year, so that when our first responders arrive at the scene of an emergency, they're far less likely to be working through a situation for the first time.

The firefighter-paramedic profession demands deep trust in your partners and a cool head in hot situations. Training in the house gives our firefighter-paramedics the chance to apply their skills in collaboration and problem-solving in a novel environment that mirrors real life. As a coworker from another department, I'm impressed. As someone who lives and works in the City of Auburn Hills, I'm grateful for their hard work.

Lisa Passalacqua, Community Engagement Manager