CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Fire Department has been taking their confined air space training to another level with hands-on training.

What You Need To Know

  • Andy Hartnett said this kind of training is needed in a city like Cleveland
  • Chief Brendan McNamara said his main concern is keeping firefighters safe

  • The Cleveland Fire Department conducted three days of hazmat safety and awareness training

Saving a life can be challenging and even risky.   

Andy Hartnett is Cleveland firefighter. He started his day by helping set up equipment for a hazmat safety class, including rescue simulations in tight spaces, sometimes with little to no oxygen.

“You’re coming across someone who’s stuck in a hole and these guys are able to use the equipment that’s on scene to typically perform a rescue,” he said.

Hartnett said this kind of training is needed in a city like Cleveland.

“In a big city setting, could be a real setting too, but there is a lot going on here, a lot of construction a lot of maintenance. We need to be able to respond and be the best people to call for doing that,” he said.

 That’s why the three-day hands-on hazmat training was detailed and extensive.

Chief Brendan McNamara said his main concern is keeping firefighters safe.

“A scary statistic for confined space is that 60% of the fatalities in confined spaces would be rescuers. That means people that are trying to help someone that is already down in a confined space,” he said.

From pulling victims out of holes to making sure firefighters have oxygen, Chief McNamara said he wants no skill left behind when it comes to life-saving tactics.

 “So when we do encounter this we’re all educated, we all on the same page, we all have the same game plan and we can get in and out safely and hopefully save someone else,” he said.