More Bonita

• Lee County Sheriff Alert: Possible child abduction in Lee County
• Bonita City Council to vote on proposed disabled veterans benefit
• Lee County Police Briefs: Dec. 3, 2008

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Share and Enjoy [?]

Black smoke blinded men inside the burning old building on Radio Tower Road Thursday. Inside, it was scorching hot, still the men sat and waited as the fire spread.

Finally, when given the orders, they put out the flames. It was only drill, but for the training fire fighters inside, it was still thrilling.

The Bonita Springs Fire Department ran live fire training at abandoned houses last week.

The three houses, located on Radio Tower Road east of Interstate 75, were donated to the department by the public.

During the training old houses were set aflame to simulate a live fire situations for firefighters.

The drills began with small fires set within a house. The firefighters entered the house with their gear to be exposed to the heat and smoke.

After extinguishing the flames, they came outside to “cool off” in the summer sun.

Debbi Redfield, the public education officer, said the training was important because it allows “firefighters to train in realistic, but controlled, non-emergency settings.”

“They experience the fire, the heat, the smoke,” she said, adding that live fire training was the only way for firefighters to be prepared for these elements in real situations.

Chris McDaniel was one of four trainees preparing to become certified firefighters, in addition to the dozens of other Bonita firefighters on hand Thursday. McDaniel was finishing the last of his certification process over the weekend.

When asked what is what like inside the burning house, McDaniel’s response was simple. “It was hot.”

McDaniel admitted that the experience was exciting, if not a little frightening.

“The first time I was in there, the visibility was gone in two minutes,” he said, describing how quickly the black smoke engulfed the small house.

McDaniel has been training as a firefighter since October when he began Emergency Medical Training. But McDaniel has been looking forward to completion of his training for a long time.

“I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter,” he said. He’s getting his chance. After the training, McDaniel and the other trainees were slated to graduate Monday.