By Jack Minch
The Sentinel & Enterprise
LEOMINSTER, Mass. — State Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, D-Leominster, worked to douse a car fire in the parking lot behind Fosta-Tek Optics on Hamilton Street.
Meanwhile, inside the building, Ward 1 Councilor David Rowlands was donning breathing apparatus before searching for a mannequin in a room filled with theatrical smoke.
Flanagan and Rowlands were among about 15 people who took the Fire Ops 101 training course put on by the Leominster Fire Department’s Local 1841 Saturday morning.
About 33 volunteers allowed the city’s elected officials, municipal employees and business community representatives go through four evolutions of training that included the car fire and search-and-rescue mission, as well rescuing a training dummy from the mangled wreckage of automobiles and CPR.
The class is part of a program developed by the International Association of Firefighters. It’s designed to increase the understanding of the duties firefighters perform so they further understand the needs for equipment and training.
“We want people to know what we do when we go looking for equipment,” said Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Davis.
Firefighters offered security and guidance but otherwise let the participants do the work.
Flanagan teamed with Ward 2 City Councilor Wayne Nickel and Robin Piermarini, of Ricky’s Towing, to extinguish the flames on a couple inside a Saturn.
A propane fire was lit under the car. Once the trio watered it down, they redirected the 1 3/4-inch water hose to the car’s interior, which was gutted but loaded with straw that was burning.
It was a physically demanding job to move the hose while withstanding the water pressure.
“I think it’s important to highlight the needs of a Fire Department in terms of what they need for manpower and equipment,” Flanagan said. “It’s easy for someone to call 911 but I don’t think they think of what happens after that.”
The tools for cutting open and prying apart car parts are extremely heavy, said Lt. Mark Burnett.
Ward 2 Councilor Wayne Nickel is a former auxiliary firefighter whose son, Jeff, is a lieutenant in the department.
Having enough manpower is important in firefighting, Nickel said.
“When you only have two people on a hose line, you realize how much work it can be,” he said.
Leominster High School junior Ben Boudreau, 16, attended just to take pictures but got a chance to don the 70-75 pounds of equipment and take part. He has an uncle, Thomas Havey, and a cousin, Jason LeBlanc, who are members of the department.
The event was fun but the equipment was hot and heavy, said Boudreau, who weighs about 153 pounds.
“The questions people asked were awesome,” said Lancaster firefighter Tom Routhier, who is an instructor at the state Firefighting Academy and helped lead the class on victim extrication.
Routhier is also a sales representative for Firematic and lent some battery-powered extrication tools.
Leominster Fire Chief Robert ideleau observed the class and praised the members.
“It looks fantastic,” he said. The participants are really enthusiastic, really concentrating on trying to complete each task.”
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