Learning to be a firefighter
Fire Department open house features demonstrations and opportunities for children to get hands-on experience
MARSHALL — There was plenty to see at the Marshall fire hall Thursday evening, from safety demonstrations to a lineup of fire trucks.
An extended fire truck ladder rigged with ropes and surrounded by other rescue equipment drew a lot of attention from curious kids.
The lines would help firefighters rescue a “victim” trapped at the top, firefighters Ryan Landberg and Jordan Jacobson said.
“We’ll raise two people and lower one, and the other guy will rappel,” Jacobson told a group of visitors at the Marshall Fire Department’s annual open house.
Jacobson and Landberg, both members of the Fire Department’s Emergency Response Team, also talked about some of the equipment they would use for going into small spaces.
“What’s that tube thing do?” a boy asked, pointing to a piece of equipment.
“That’s a fan,” Landberg said. Landberg explained that the fan, attached to a long fabric tube, could help bring fresh air into spaces the rescue team needed to go.
A rescue demonstration by the Marshall ERT was one of the main events at the Fire Department open house. Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold said it would be the first time firefighters would be able to hold this kind of demonstration for the public.
“The guys are excited,” he said.
The ERT has been in existence for about three years, Brunsvold said.
Landberg and Jacobson said 12 Marshall firefighters are on the ERT. The group trains monthly, in addition to regular firefighter training and duties.
“It was a whole other set of firefighting skills to learn,” Jacobson said.
Brunsvold said this year’s open house had great weather and a great turnout, after a couple of years of rainy or cold conditions.
“We were due for some nice weather, finally,” he said.
Events like the open house are an important chance for Marshall firefighters to connect with the community, Brunsvold said.
“It’s special for us, too,” he said.