VIDEO: Every year Spokane Firefighters travel for training. This year they went to the Tri-Cities, but it wasn't just the firefighters that attended.
So did Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown.
"It was intense," Mayor Brown said.
Why would the mayor of a city train alongside firefighters?
"It’s difficult for an elected official to fully understand what our needs are,” Spokane Fire Capt. Eric Staggs said.
Capt. Staggs added there are an "abundance" of needs that the fire department has. Anything and everything from personal protective equipment, to more staff, to new gear.
"Our training facility should have been replaced a decade ago,” Capt. Staggs said.
A firetruck that sits in Spokane Fire Station 15 should have been placed on reserve long ago, according to Capt. Staggs.