The old saying goes, “Practice Makes Perfect.” And in so many cases that is true. Practicing something new or trying different techniques usually requires some time to learn how to do it. So how does it work for Firemen, who regularly go into dangerous and different situations without the ability to practice what they are required to do? What I mean is, how do Firefighters practice kicking down doors or use an axe to chop down walls in a safe environment without worrying about causing damage to the structure?
We are currently in the demolition phase of a large project in Glendale called East End Studios. The scope of work for the demo portion is to tear down several independent buildings on the property, which so far has been running smoothly and we are on schedule. Just a few doors down from this property is the Glendale Fire Station 22 and they asked if they could run a few drills while we are demoing the buildings. This gives the Fire Station the ability to practice some of the moreinvasive and technical fire drills that they typically aren’t able to practice because of the damage it causes to buildings. Our Superintendent for this project, Mike Parks, was very accommodating to the Station and we allowed the Firemen to use the buildings for their drills. The response we got back from Captain Gabe Vaca was very encouraging.
“Mike, I’m writing this email to express my sincere appreciation to you for allowing us to conduct some fire department drills in the studio you were in the process of demolishing. It is not very often we get to use a building that we can operate as we do in an actual emergency without the worry of causing damage. Giving us the use of the office space to conduct breech drills where we break through walls was especially valuable because that is a life saving event we may see only one time in our entire career, and we are now prepared for it thanks to you. The genuine kindness and sincerity you showed us without any sort of expectation in return truly speaks volumes to the type of people you are. Thank you from all of us at Glendale Fire Station 22.”
Thank you Mike, for supporting the local Fire Department, going above and beyond the job title. And thank you to Fire Captain Gabe Vaca for the kind words, and the entire Glendale Fire Department for the work you do for the community!
