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WEST VALLEY CITY — City leaders from across the Salt Lake Valley took on the job of firefighter at a fire training event in West Valley City on Saturday.
Salt Lake area firefighters gathered at West Valley Fire Station 73, 2834 South 2700 West, to show city leaders what fire crews really do.
West Jordan City IT manager Michael Oliver was one of leaders chosen to suit up and get to work. Ripping open doors and cutting windshields isn't what he normally does.
“This is totally different,” Oliver said. “I mean, moving a mouse and hitting a couple of keys on a keyboard is nothing like holding a 55-pound tool, packing it around.” For fire crews, the best part is when a city leader puts on the equipment and goes into a burning structure.
“There is no better way for us to show a council member, show a mayor, show a city manager — someone who makes the decisions when it comes down to writing the checks that we might need for pieces of equipment,” said Nick Dodge, of the West Valley City Fire Department.
Feeling the heat is a lot different than reading about it on some report, and that’s when the job of putting out fires is really appreciated, fire fighters say.
“I have a lot more respect of what their day-to-day, at the end of the shift, would be,” Oliver said.
Fire fighters also had some advice for homeowners on how to prevent house fires — it’s something they see all the time, that’s easy to fix.
“Honestly, the dryers. You’ve got those vents that go out and lead outside for the dryer vent. A lot of people don’t worry about cleaning those, and that’s probably one of the biggest things that cause fires,” said Alex Harris, of the West Jordan Fire Department.
They’re not that hard to clean either, Harris said.
“(It’s) as simple as taking a Shop-Vac up there and just cleaning them out once or twice a year. It really can really make a big difference,” he said.
Saturday’s class will help make sure fire departments are ready if you have a problem at home — just don't expect to see the IT guy to come with them, even if he likes the job.
“Haven’t had this much fun since out on the farm,” Oliver said.
