Las Cruces fire training tower provides numerous benefits
The El Paso Rhinos, a junior hockey team competing in the
The team, and even its vice president of operations, participated in the same agility training exercise the department uses to determine potential candidates for the city's fire training academy. A series of nine different tests must be completed in less than 8 minutes, 48 seconds.
Every Rhino, who was between the ages of 17 to 21, completed the test in times that were easily within the time allotted.
"It was a lot of fun," said
The test had special meaning for Camba. His father is a fire training officer in
"I have a lot of respect and admiration for my father, and his love of his job is why I would want to follow him."
The test included carrying a fire hose, with water in it for 75 feet; dragging a 155-pound dummy about 50 feet; crawling about 50 yards through the training facility's fire tower; carrying an iron object weighing about the same as the "Jaws of Life" for 50 yards and then climbing up and down three flights of stairs with a 35-pound air tank on your back.
"It's definitely a challenge, but I got through it," said
Cartwright finished the test in 3:36, and Camba in 4:14. But with their competitive natures in overdrive, Camba and Cartwright decided to run the course again. The second time, Camba lowered his time to 3:06, but Cartwright couldn't improve his initial 3:36.
"These were all excellent times," said Lt.
"We like to keep them active," said Deloach, who added she once considered becoming a firefighter. "We have tremendous respect for all the men and women who, as firefighters, regularly have to train like this. Being here and seeing what our players have to go through to try to match those efforts gives you an entirely new perspective of incredible physical and mental strength these firefighters have to have."
When the hockey players finished Schulmeister quickly got to the point.
"How many of you might want to be firefighters," he said. Six of the players, Camba included, raised their hands.
Firefighters and probationary firefighters who are attending the
"That's incredible," he said.
The city's fire training facility was opened in 2015 , shortly after the city opened a new substation adjacent to the
"Having this facility is so very important," Schulmeister said. "Before this, the fire department was conducting training at several locations in the city where we weren't able to conduct or simulate live fire training. But since this facility has been opened, the city has lowered its ISO (Insurance Service Office) rating to '1,' the lowest rating possible. That benefits everyone in the city who has to purchase fire insurance. It costs less because of that low rating."
The three-story training facility enables firefighters to simulate conditions of home or apartment fires, similar situations that could occur in strip malls, and fires involving propane tanks, dumpsters, and vehicles. Schulmeister also said other public safety agencies, such as
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