What it takes to keep you safe from fire

Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) - It's a chance of a lifetime, living the day like a firefighter, but without the panic and stress of a real life situation. Our own Todd Kurtz suited up for a unique chance to see what it takes to keep you safe.

There was no alarming 4 am wake up, real injuries, or working against the clock, but the fire department suited me up and gave me a taste of what it's like inside the mask.

“It's a snap shot of what we do, the services we provide.”

In small groups, I spent much of the morning for hands on training. Things like breaking windows the right way and tearing the door off a car with the Jaws of Life, just like the pros.

Tearing apart a car, breathing through an oxygen mask, and entering a burning building are unlike anything. Dark, smoky, and loud, but it's what these guys do daily. Firefighters say that's why so much of their job is spent training. So when a call comes in, everyone is on the same page. Just like an athletics team, a group of individuals working against a consistent opponent.

“The fire is always at full strength, everybody's got their little assignment and if one person is not there it affects everyone else.”

That teamwork is most clear in the dark when we searched for a lifeless victim in a smoke filled building. Navigating, finding, and dragging that 180 pound dummy turned out to be the most challenging reality check of the day.

“You can't see your hand in front of your face it's not like a movie, where you see everybody and there is a little fire in the corner.”

Community leaders also took part. Each firefighter puts in more than 240 training hours every year.

Tags: reporter stories, todd kurtz, fire, training, fargo