Lawmakers suit up to learn about firefighting during Fire Ops 101 training in North Park

It’s not easy work to search for a person trapped in a smoke-filled basement or hallway, as local legislators recently discovered. But it’s something Pittsburgh firefighters are prepared to do on a daily basis.

It was all part of a Fire Ops 101 training experience May 22 at the Allegheny County Fire Training Academy in North Park. The event was hosted by the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters, International Association of Firefighters Local No. 1, in cooperation with MSA Safety.

The event presented real-life firefighting scenarios to local and state lawmakers, members of Pittsburgh City Council and other participants, providing an opportunity to share what it’s like to be a firefighter.

“It’s good to give people that are making decisions for us as much information as we can and what we do for them, to be able to go through and see a little slice of what we do on a normal basis. It’s important. You can’t explain what we do all the time,” said Shamus Cringle, battalion chief for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire.

Cringle and 75 firefighters from IAFF Local No. 1 and the City of Pittsburgh attended the event. They assisted the 28 participants, who were outfitted with full firefighting gear and tested at six training stations.

Experiences included climbing ladder trucks into the third level of a four-story training building, navigating an underground search of halls and rooms amid heavy smoke using thermal imaging cameras, learning about live fire behavior, using extraction tools on a wrecked vehicle and handling medical emergencies.

Participants also listened to crew members discuss the importance of mental health and wellness.

“This gives people who are decision-makers, lawmakers and council members a hands-on feel of what it’s like to be a firefighter … before making laws or setting budgets,” said Tim Leech, vice president of the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters, IAFF Local No. 1.

The training previously was held in 2019 and 2022, and each time a different list of participants were invited, Leech said.

State Sen. Lindsey Williams, who was one of the legislators in attendance, said events like this provide an opportunity to be better legislators and advocates for groups like firefighters.

“This is critical just to get a piece of what our firefighters deal with every day,” said Williams, D-North Hills.

While Williams was doing a search-and-rescue exercise in a “basement” filled with smoke, she said the experience was “really claustrophobic and I had no idea where I was going.”

“That’s what happens to firefighters every time they go into a fire, trying to figure out where they are and how much this equipment keeps them safe,” she said.

These events help lawmakers know “what we need to do to invest to make sure that they come home safely to their families,” Williams said.

Another lawmaker, state Rep. Jeremy Shaffer, R-Pine, was grateful to be part of the activity.

“I have always deeply appreciated all the work performed by our firefighters and first responders. The Fire Ops 101 class gave me a new level of respect for the physical demands, technical skills and courage it takes to do this job,” Shaffer said.

“Fire Ops 101 served as a good reminder of the dangers our first responders face every day and why it is so important for our local communities and the state to fully support them as they work to keep us safe. As a legislator, we spend hours working on and reviewing bills. Actually having spent a day going through just some of the scenarios faced by our fire fighters helps connect the real-world needs to the words we put into law,” he said.

For state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, a long-time advocate of firefighters, the training was eye-opening.

Steele posted on her Facebook account that the experience shook her to her core.

During the search-and-rescue portion of the training, while suited up in 70 pounds of gear with a full face mask and oxygen tank, Steele said she crawled through pitch-black tunnels filled with smoke and fire.

She recounted tripping over objects, losing her partner and turning the wrong way.

“I felt panic and fear and struggled to keep my mind calm and focused,” she shared. “I kept having flashes — what if one of my children was lost inside.

“When I finally stumbled out, I fell into the arms of a firefighter who reached in to help me out. I stood leaning on him for several minutes. I cried and he kept his arms around me until I regained my composure. I was crying with fear, but mostly gratitude for what these people do for us. … Their bravery is just mind-blowing.”

In addition to Williams, Shaffer and Steele, other invited guests included state Sen. Doug Mastriano, state Reps. Mark Gillen, Dan Goughnour, John Inglis, Roman Kozak, Charity Grimm Krupa, Lindsay Powell, Jared Solomon and Paul Takac; City Controller Rachael Heisler; City Councilwoman Barb Warwick; state Treasurer Stacy Garrity; and Pittsburgh Assistant Public Safety Director Takeena White.