A federal program geared to assist firefighters made its first visit to Connecticut to offer a week-long of training.
Through a FEMA grant, the “Fire Ground Survival Program” came to the Manchester Fire Department to train their firefighters as well as some East Hartford Firefighters and firefighters from Manchester’s 8th District Department. “This is a ‘train the trainers’ program…it teaches our firefighters how to avoid getting into a mayday situation,” Manchester Battalion Chief Gordon MacMillan said.
The program is offered by the International Association of Firefighters. They bring a trailer full of specialized equipment and instructors to teach firefighters high-level survival skills. “They’re learning self-survival skills," said Tom Heaney. "How to remove themselves from an unattainable environment, bailing out windows, cutting themselves out of entanglements."