(Memphis) Firefighters are braving the extreme heat index to help serve and protect Mid-Southerners.
Saturday, public officials and journalists like News Channel 3’s Candace McCowan and Sabrina Hall, got an up close look at what the demanding, intense job is like.
They took part in Fire Ops 101.
The Memphis Fire Fighter’s Association sponsored the simulation courses to help others gain a better understanding of the job.
Firefighters are hoping the insight given on how they save lives, will in turn, save jobs.
“Going into the burning building, you can’t see anything, and then you see the smoke and then you see the fire you don’t know if the roof is going to collapse or not you don’t know anything. They go through this on a daily basis,” said Memphis City Council member, Janis Fullilove.
Saturday, Fullilove was one of dozens that spent the day dragging dummies out of burning buildings, trying to stop a scorching blaze in a high-rise and freeing someone with the jaws of life after a crash.
“This is one of the hardest jobs I have ever seen. If this is the training I can’t imagine what its like to do this in real life, this is extremely intense,” said Memphis City Council Member Lee Harris
In the city’s budget crisis, there are talks to cut 111 jobs and equipment used from the Memphis Fire Department.
Memphis Firefighters say, every job is much-needed to save someone who has been trapped in a fire.
“By the time everybody touches them, to get them out, get them undressed, start the EMS procedures, 12 people minimum have helped in that situation,” expressed Battalion Chief Sue McManus.
Saturday they hoped to get that point across.
“Right now, the city council is going to have to make some very serious decisions about what we are going to do going forward with the fire and police and public safety in general, this is terrific insight,” said Harris.
Fullilove says, decisions will have to be made, but for her, there’s just not a dollar amount, “What does that say for us? we are not putting safety first, we are not putting our citizens first and so are citizens need to be first.”