Local Fire Officials Host Live Burn Event Friday

Lake Havasu City fire officials lit it up and pretended to burn it down Friday as a final review and induction for three new recruits joining their ranks.

Battalion Chief Jasen Stello, of Lake Havasu City Fire Department, identified new recruits – John Clark, Christopher Stansbury and Elvis Malfabon.

Firefighters train Friday morning during a Live Burn. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

“We do these annually, or whenever we have new hires or recruits,” Stello said. “In this case, we have three new guys.”

The activity was to familiarize the new guys with the department’s equipment and deployment strategies. In turn, it also provided opportunity to work side-by-side with neighboring Desert Hills Fire Department. Five of Desert Hills’ firefighters participated.

In all, about 25 firefighters participated in varying roles of responding firefighters, back up firefighters, medics, and safety spotters.

Lake Havasu City Fire Chief Dennis Mueller escorted about a dozen firefighters into the smoking confines of a four-story building at the city’s Fire Station No. 2, on Kiowa. It is a training facility.

The mock scenario was reported as a fire on the fourth floor with a potential victim on the third floor. The location was from where the mock 911 call was reported. In short, the fire was reported and the line went dead.

Firefighter recruit John Clark carries a mannequin victim to safety during training. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Firefighters responded, prepared fire suppression gear, made entry into the burning building and organized a search of the third floor. Shortly, new firefighter recruit Clark turned out a heroic soul-saving feat by carrying the youth-sized victim-mannequin to an area staged by medics.

Lake Havasu City Community Emergency Response Team, or C.E.R.T, was set up for rehab during the mock escalated incident.

The training activity helps prepare the local firefighters for real-life scenarios that occur from time to time within the community. At the end of the day, three live burn scenarios played out. The training activity was scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Stello said.