CENTRAL POINT, Ore. — If you spotted flames in the Central Point or White City area on Thursday… don’t worry, it was just a drill.
“It’s going to be a really good experience for them to kind of get their feet wet in a controlled environment,” said Natalie Weber, Oregon Dept. of Forestry.
But the 15-foot flames were very real.
“Be able to see, you know, what goes on, how the winds play a factor, how tall the grass is,” Weber said.
Weber says the exercise puts weeks of training to the test.
“It’s going to offer a lot of different scenarios where they can make choices either very quickly in the moment or with some strategy to it,” she said.
Whether it’s creating a line around the fire or using the tactic of ‘pump and roll,’ firefighter Taylor Quigley says every scenario requires you to be quick on your feet.
“What it feels like to get out a truck when a fire’s burning right next to it… with the smoke and the heat in your face,” he said.
He says it’s about working together as a team. That’s especially true if it’s your first time fighting flames.
“I didn’t know how much they actually go through in just going to fight a fire,” said Mckenna Gugliotta, a new firefighter.
Within hours, the flames were extinguished and the gear packed away.
“They’ve learned all the tactics, they’ve learned all the strategies and now they’re going to actually put them to use and see how well they work… and why these are the things that we do,” said Weber.
The team ready… for when the real call comes in.
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