Local fire departments conduct specialized training

CLEVELAND, Minn. (KEYC) - The Cleveland, Kasota, and Madison Lake Volunteer Fire Departments teamed up for a training opportunity, one that they are very grateful for.

Cleveland’s second assistant fire chief, John Kluntz said, “We are fortunate enough to have this house, which isn’t a very common occurrence, to be able to do this live and in person with an actual house.”

The training started with the earlier stages of a fire all the way to a fully engulfed house fire. Cleveland’s pumper truck was recently upgraded with a SAM BOOST tool, which is the primary tool being used during this training. The SAM BOOST tool manages the waterflow from the hose, right at the nozzle.

Kluntz, hopes this will not only save time, but also aid in saving lives and resources. “The SAM BOOST is going to allow us to be a one-person operation for a little while until more resources can show up because we’re sometimes short-staffed.”

This new technology will make a large impact, not only for the Cleveland department, but also for other departments utilizing the tool as it’s becoming very difficult to retain firefighters. “Finding more firefighters that are willing to take that time to volunteer for their community is getting harder and harder.” said Kluntz.

If you’re looking to volunteer for your community, head down to your local City Hall to fill out an application.

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