State Reps. John Fusco and Liz Linehan pried open car doors, carried hoses into a burn house to battle a fire, and performed CPR on a dummy during a firefighter training exercise Monday.
Fusco, a Republican representing Southington, and Linehan, a Democrat representing Southington, Cheshire and Wallingford, were among the politicians and candidates who took part in the fire training offered this week by the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut in Hartford.
During a briefing before the exercises, firefighters told the group that the training would help them understand the job’s complexity and its difficulty.
“We’re going to put you through the wringer, we’re going to make you work and show you what it’s like,” said Jason Diaz, a Hartford firefighter and president of the city’s firefighters union.
Linehan, who attended the training last year, and Fusco were fitted the day before with all the gear they’d need, including a mask and air tank.