I just lifted this very interesting story from the mayors email newsletter.  I didn’t know this was a thing – i.e. turning over empty house to the fire department for training.  Sounds like a great idea.

 

Fire Drills
 
For the past couple of weeks, Newton firefighters have had a great training opportunity. They battled theatrical smoke as they searched for a 130-pound dummy trapped in a “burning” home in Oak Hill.
 
While the smoke and fire were simulated, the experience felt real.
The home, slated for demolition, was offered by a contractor to the Newton Fire Department for training drills to help our crews keep their skills sharp.
One drill started with the VEIS (Vent, Entry, Isolate, Search) technique which involves going into a burning structure through a second-floor window and evacuating trapped people to waiting crews on the ground.
 
In another drill, the house was again filled with thick theatrical smoke, and firefighters used thermal cameras to find “victims” that were trapped in the three stories of the home.