29P FIRE TRAINING EXERCISE

In order to be prepared for the actuality of a real fire, the Twentynine Palms Fire Department performed a training drill Thursday. Firefighters trained on a simulated section of a roof to practice venting tactics. Working in the Twentynine Palms Water District’s yard, they used saws and axes to break through the roof to let smoke and heat out from a simulated fire. The section of the roof was about 12 by 12 feet, and started a few feet above the ground, with a 4-by-8 foot platform under it, and rose up to about 7 feet high. Fire Captain Matt Helmkamp said the “low frequency-high risk” exercise was training for something firefighters don’t do often but need to be prepared for when they do encounter it.