FIREFIGHTERS in Newton Abbot focused on fighting fires in tall buildings at their latest training night.

The crew travelled a stone’s throw away to South Devon UTC for Monday’s training [June 2].

The mock scenario saw a ‘fire’ brake out on the top floor of the education facility off Kingsteignton Road.

First, a reconnaissance team of three firefighters were sent in to gain a better understanding of the incident, feeding information back to the Incident Commander.

It was also the responsibility of the reconnaissance team to set up a forward command point, known as a bridgehead, two floors below the fire.

Crews used the dry riser system to provide a steady water supply to the higher levels of the building.

The remaining crew members assisted in setting up a three line attack: on protecting the stairwell below the fire floor; one protecting the corridor on the fire floor and the final line to tackle the fire proper.

A spokesperson for Newton Abbot Fire Station said: ‘Fires in tall buildings can come with a variety of unique hazards that aren't always present in other types of buildings.

‘These can include extended travel distances, complex layouts, and powerful wind driven fires.

‘Therefore, multiple procedures and tactics need to be in place to ensure we can fight fires in these places as safely as possible.

‘Fires in tall buildings are equipment and personnel intensive incidents that require large amounts of resources to be dealt with safely.

‘Although this was run 'slow time' to promote learning, all the crew worked well together and had a valuable opportunity to train in a realistic environment.

‘Newton Abbot fire station would like to extend a massive thank you to South Devon UTC, who allowed us to use their premises for our training.

‘This type of access gives us the opportunity to train in realistic conditions which gives our crew the best preparation for when these incidents occur’.