Local government leaders learn what it takes to be a firefighter

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - An event on Sunday gave local government leaders a chance to see what it’s like to be a firefighter or first responder.

Elected officials got a chance at handling practice emergency calls as part of a course held at Northeast Technical College called Fire Ops 101.

When it comes to being a first responder, there’s a lot more that goes into it than you might think.

“Everybody knows we go to fire calls and EMS comes with the ambulance, but there is a wide variety of services that we provide for our city,” said Jake Plennes, an engineer with Green Bay Metro Fire Department.

Like getting people out of cars, putting their lives on the line to save others, and so much more.

However, when it comes to saving lives, especially during a fire, every second counts.

The quicker a firefighter can locate somebody and rescue them from a burning building, the greater the likelihood of a positive outcome.

Surveys show that if victims are found and rescued in less than 10 minutes, there’s more than a 50% chance of surviving, according to a survey called The First 3000.

To do this, first responders need to be notified, drive to your location, understand the layout, and move throughout an unknown building to get you to safety.

After understanding that, many of the government officials say they gained a lot from this experience.

“We think of the fire department as just going in to do fires. They don’t just do fires. They do so much more. And the teamwork is what I love to watch here. You know, one guy is doing one thing and one guy is doing another, and they just anticipate each other,” said Kathy Hinkfuss, District 12 Alderman.

“The trust people have in us is something we strive to maintain,” said Plennes. “That trust in the public has been built for years and years and years. And one slip-up can ruin that. And that’s why we say we going on 17,000 plus calls, without error, every single year.”

While this was a moment to understand what first responders do in the event of an emergency, everyone also seemed to have fun as they learned what it takes to keep the community safe.