LOWNDES COUNTY, GA — The Valdosta Fire Department is conducting live training exercises using a donated home to prepare crews for real emergencies.
The controlled burn simulates the chaos firefighters face, allowing crews to practice entering burning homes, searching for victims, and stopping flames before they spread. Safety teams monitor the exercises from both inside and outside the structure.
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Valdosta sees around 40 structure fires a year. In just the last 60 days, Valdosta firefighters have responded to 116 fire alarms, 22 other fires, 10 structure fires, and dozens of other calls.
Captain Robert Mercer said hands-on training is critical because there is no room for hesitation during a real emergency.
"Letting our firefighters actually go in and make an interior fire attack in a controlled environment… they have instructors inside, safety officers inside… but they’re getting to experience what it’s like to actually make a real fire attack," Mercer said.
The donated house gives crews a rare chance to train inside a real home. Mercer said this is especially important for newer firefighters.
"It lets our newer firefighters get that experience going into a real home in a more controlled environment than what they will if they have this same scenario on somebody’s house at 2:00 in the morning," Mercer said.
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