Crime & Safety

Fire Department Partners With Safeway for Rare Training Opportunity

Before Safeway demolished its old building, firefighters from Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One, the City of Tacoma Fire Department and West Pierce Fire & Rescue participated in a two-day emergency fire ground training.

As the demolition process at the old location is set to take place this week, local firefighters got a rare opportunity to test their skills at a recent training event in Gig Harbor.

On Dec. 28 and 29, firefighters from , the City of Tacoma Fire Department and participated in an emergency fire ground training at the former Safeway building at Point Fosdick Square Shopping Center.

"Normally, fire departments are not able to conduct training in actual buildings. Most construction and/or development timelines do not allow for this type of activity," said Eric Waters, spokesman for the Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One. "However, Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One Training Division Lt. Scott Duncan and Property Development Centers Construction Manager Rick Henderson were able to partner and bring this valuable training opportunity to fruition."

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About 60 firefighters participated in search and rescue, ventilation, forcible entry and managing large fire streams.

The two-day training did not involve any actual fire.

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"(Safeway) did not want us to use any fire because they did not want us to contaminate the materials that are all going to be torn down and recycled," said GHFMO Battalion Chief Eric Pearson.


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