Town of Miami Lakes officials learned what it’s like to be one of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s bravest by participating in a “Firefighter for a Day” training event on March 25 at the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department’s training facility in Doral.
Councilmember Nelson Rodriguez, a 27-year veteran of the Coral Gables Fire Department, came up with the idea of having his Council colleagues, Town Manager, and Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr., or a member of his staff, experience hands on firefighting exercises and drills, the way he does on a weekly basis.
Basically, Rodriguez wanted them to experience the challenges of being a Firefighter and at the same time, provide them with a memorable set of lessons and trust and team work.
The participants included Mayor Wayne Slaton, Vice Mayor Manny Cid, Town Manager Alex Rey, Rodriguez, and Carlos Fleites from Bovo’s staff. All were provided official gear, fire boots and oxygen tanks so they could simulate the kind of pressures firefighters face every day.
The training exercise included how to properly use and control a fire hose and how to use the Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. The participants then extinguished a car fire, and climbed an aerial ladder to suppress a kitchen fire in a mock single-family home that MDFR uses for training purposes.
“With public safety being the Council’s top priority, it was a privilege to share my profession with them,” said Rodriguez. “We had the opportunity to train with Firefighters that serve our Town residents on a daily basis.”