Community members got a chance Wednesday to see what a day in the life of a firefighter is like thanks to the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin and Fire Fighters Local 311.
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MADISON, Wis. -- Community members got a chance Wednesday to see what a day in the life of a firefighter is like thanks to the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin and Fire Fighters Local 311.
The Fire OPS 101 event held at Madison College showed attendees, including journalists and dozens of politicians, what it's like to respond to emergencies like fires, search and rescue efforts, vehicle extractions and emergency medical calls. Those who took part were also able to try on real turnout gear and handle real tools first responders use in their work.
The goal of the event is to show people what goes into fighting fires while also helping lawmakers see the importance of providing funding for emergency responders, said Mahlon Mitchell, the president of Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin.
MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Fire and EMS Coalition held a lobby day at the Capitol Wednesday.
"It gives our folks that make those decisions on our budgets and about our jobs a real-life experience of why we need four people on a rig, why we need certain personnel to do certain things, and why our training is so important," Mitchell said. "Of course, all that costs money, so we're letting them know where their funding, where their money is going and why we need adequate staffing and funding to do our jobs appropriately to save our communities."
Funding for local governments and, by extension, first responders, has been a key area of debate among lawmakers at the Capitol amid the current state budget cycle.
​COPYRIGHT 2023 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
