VIDEO: Firefighters are typically the first to help in emergency situations, but sometimes the calls they respond to can turn violent. "I've had people punch me, kick me," Ben Brown, a Reno Firefighter, says.
Now, the Reno Fire Department is training all firefighters in self defense and situational awareness.
"In the rare instances where we actually have to put our hands on people and have to be in a stuggle of some sort, a way to safely control that person safely for both them and us and bring the situation to a good resolution," Brown says.
The department says in the last month they've had at least 18 calls turn violent.
"That's kind of where this started, but ultimately, what little problems we've had in the past if we never have any that's better but one time having someone get hurt is too many," Captain Jake Lightfoot says.