Where there's smoke, there's training

Lt. Robbie Woldt, Jr., Bonduel Area Fire Department, carries a shovel of debris following a session of a training exercise Sept. 28 held at the Shawano Fire Department building on Main Street. The city downtown was shrouded at times by the smoke from the exercises. Capt. Chris Gehm, Bonduel fire department, left, hoses down the embers and Allan Wolf, also a Bonduel firefighter, continues to clean out the demonstration trailer belonging to Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). Del Zuleger, NWTC instructor, right, monitors the clean-up and setup for the next group to learn the hazards of “flashover” when fighting a fire. The exercise also involved the Shawano and Keshena Fire Departments. Chief Shawn Borlach, Shawano, and Chief Pat Roberts, Keshena, said the departments often share training sessions, lowering costs for each department. The pair also underscored that training together builds trust and cooperation that pays dividends when fighting fires together. More extensive coverage of the training with more photos will be in the Saturday edition of the Shawano Leader.

David Wilhelms