Donated House Gives Ramsey FD Practice Rescue Opportunity [PHOTOS]

Ramsey’s volunteer firefighters were able to sharpen their game Monday night, thanks to the donation of an Upper Saddle River home it used to practice drills and rescue techniques.

According to Ramsey Fire Department Chief Randy Sterbinsky, about 25 members of the squad, along with rescue and ambulance squad members, got permission to use a donated home to practice house fire response and victim rescue. The FD uses a smoke machine to simulate fire conditions, and uses the training, Sterbinsky said, as a way for veteran members to brush up, and new members to learn firefighting techniques.

“We always have new members that have to learn to work with the department as a team,” Sterbinsky said of the training. “Efficiency is stressed to do the job quickly and safely.”

Fire officials say the FD conducts similar types of hands-on training sessions whenever it can get a home donated to work with. This is the first training of this type this year.

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