Crime & Safety

Local Firefighters Host National Training Competition

Firefighting teams from Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana, California, Colorado and Georgia compete on several different skills.

The heat is on as the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department hosts the International Rescue and Emergency Care Association’s training competition this week.

Firefighters from across the country have converged on the Roy Wilson Training Center in Thousand Palms for the event, which runs through Saturday.

Teams from Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana, California, Colorado and Georgia compete on several different skills, such as confined space rescue, high-angle rescue and Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) treatment, according to Melody Hendrickson, a spokeswoman for the Riverside County Fire Department.

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Both Lake Elsinore and Wildomar contract with Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department for firefighting services.

Hendrickson said no local firefighters are represented at this year's competition.

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IRECA, which is based out of Minnesota, gives participants the opportunity to compete against each other in various rescue-related events, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Capt. Mike Smith.

"The agencies represented are extremely proficient and serve as models to responders throughout the nation,'' Smith said.

In addition to competitions, the association also provides continuing education seminars as well as business meetings, displays of rescue vehicles and industry suppliers, according to the IRECA website. --Toni McAllister contributed to this report


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