NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The New York City fire department suffered its darkest day almost 10 years ago and have been working to recover ever since.
It’s not easy training to be one of New York’s Bravest, as WCBS 880 reporter Peter Haskell found out.
Among the many exercises at the Fire Academy on Randalls Island, there is a simulation where someone trapped under a subway car.
The training exercise requires you to crawl under the train to rescue the person.
WCBS 880’s Peter Haskell On Randalls Island
“Watch your head. Watch your back,” directs an instructor.
You then have to crawl along the gravel track pad between the platform and the train car before person grabs the victim’s hand and another grabs his side. The victim is then dragged out on a backboard to safety.
Another exercise involves fighting a high-rise fire, which starts by climbing steps, with a hundred pounds or more of gear.
The firefighters in front make a banging sound to help you know where to go since heavy smoke and pitch-black darkness reduces visibility.
You are trained to hold your ground since the pressure from the hose is enough to knock you over.
The 27-acre Fire Training Academy on the island has been in existence for over 25 years.
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