"A great opportunity:" Elected officials in Waukesha get a lesson in firefighting

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Elected officials in Waukesha get a lesson in firefighting

Elected officials in Waukesha get a lesson in firefighting



WAUKESHA  -- Waukesha County fights hundreds of fires every year and Saturday, elected officials got to see if they could handle the heat of being a firefighter.



It is something firefighters do on a daily basis -- walk into a dark house fighting a hot blaze. Saturday, they had some rookies on hand.

"It's totally black you really can't see anything so it's really a team effort. You have to go by faith and work together," said Hannah Heinritz, Lisbon supervisor.

Heinritz is learning what it's like to be a firefighter.

Hannah Heinritz



"I think we have a lot to be grateful for and all that our fire department does for us," said Heinritz.

It's all part of the experience day put on by the Waukesha County Fire Chief's Association.

"This is all about information today through practical experience, and to have a little fun too," said Chief Jim Moon, Wales Genesee Fire.



The participants are alderman, mayors, administrators and the county executive.

"This is a great opportunity for elected officials to come out and see actually what goes in a day to day basis with them and what they need to go through when it comes to keeping us safe," said Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow.



The long day included the hands on challenge of how to safely extract somebody from a smashed up car.

A lesson on how to drive the fire truck and how to administer aid to a patient on the scene as an EMT.



"It's a great opportunity for them to see their investment and how we keep our community safe," said Pewaukee Fire Department Chief Kevin Bierce.

The program builds a respect between the city officials and the men and women who keep us safe.