Imperial Valley Fire Departments participate in wildland training

EL CENTRO, Calif.- Fire crews in Imperial Valley sharpened their skills on April 1, with a wildland fire training exercise.

El Centro, Brawley. Imperial County, Calipatria, and Holtville fire departments participated in hands-on training.

The scenario based activities aimed at preparing fire fighters for wildfire season included hose laying and portable pump stations.

The yearly training gets the newrecruits ready in the event that a strike team needs to be deployed to areas like Riverside County, L.A. County, or Ventura County.

"You're gonna have to at least have completed your probationary period. And for us here in El Centro, that entails the EMS training, search and rescue, the structure, and of course ultimately the wildland training," El Centro Fire Department Battallion Chief Eddie Ainza told KYMA.

Jesse Llanas, Fire Captain for The City of Holtville Fire Department, said the trainees are put through a rigorous course, testing both their physical and mental abilities.

"It's a three-mile hike,it has to be done within 45 minutes with 45 ponds. Yeah, and then once you get that done, then you go to other stations which is communications, fire shelter deployment, handline construction. All that. Weather reading as well cause weather actually, we can predetermine with weather fire behavior, fire pattern and how it's gonna act."

Although this particular training event was a two-day event, the department's training continues year round.

"With fire season now year round, it's just an ongoing thing so just constantly be up health wise, educational wise, and physical fitness training," LLanas said.

El Centro Fire says these exercises and trainings help crews from multiple different agencies work together smoothly when minutes count.

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