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(KSL News) About a dozen elected officials felt the heat today, literally.
It was Fire Operations 101 for lawmakers in and visiting Salt Lake City.
Karen Hale, communications director for the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office, said, "It was exhilarating! It's dark in there and then these flares."
They donned fire gear to climb ladders, fight flames with water hoses and work on vehicles to experience life under fire.
Hale said, "This is a great learning experience, and it just really gives you a taste of what our firefighters go through."
Karleen Montanez, with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, said, "There's a lot of people that see firefighters every day, doing their jobs out on the street, going out on car fires and accidents and house fires and commercial fires, but they don't understand exactly what we do."
Officials say the training strengthens relationships between elected officials and local firefighters. Organizers hope to hold similar training events in the future.
