Members of the Newton Fire Department recently gained some valuable training and experience pertaining to fighting fires inside homes and buildings. Newton Fire Chief Jarrod Wellik says crew members tested their interior fire attack skills with the Iowa State Fire Training Bureau’s Interior Fire Simulator, thanks to a coordinated effort with Jasper County Emergency Management.

The simulator let crews train in a controlled setting that mimicked real heat and live-fire conditions. Newton Fire Department personnel practiced advancing hose lines into a structure, and operated in high heat and low visibility, which closely matches real structure fires. Wellik says this training also helps firefighters improve hose management, communication, and teamwork. These are all skills, he says, that are important when fighting fires in the community.