Firefighters Train in Vacant Vernon Hills Building

Firefighters from the Countryside Fire Protection District got some hands-on practice June 7 when they responded to a smoke-filled building and rescued two “victims” from a vacant Vernon Hills store.

The former Pier 1 Imports building will soon be demolished to make way for the construction of Chick-fil-A. Fire officials decided to take advantage of the vacant building, where they’ll stage three trainings with surrounding departments.

“It’s not too often firefighters are able to train in real buildings, so this is a great opportunity for us to reinforce the skills we practice throughout the year and enhance our readiness,” Fire Chief Jeff Steingart said in a media release.

When firefighters were called to the scene, the entire building was filled with thick fog, created by burning baby oil to simulate the smoke from a fire.

“We’re just making it as real as we possibly can without the fire and the heat,” said Division Chief Tony DeRose.

Firefighters went through all the steps they would have in the event of an actual fire, including donning protective gear, forcing entry into a locked building, pulling fire hoses inside, conducting search and rescues to remove two mannequins from the building, and ventilation.

“We just want to make sure they are efficient in their skill set,” DeRose said. They will later be critiqued on their performance, he added.

The fog inside the building was so thick that at times firefighters could barely see, even with the aid of flashlights. A thermal imaging camera helped them see fellow rescuers.

“One of the greatest assets of the fire station is that camera,” DeRose said.

Rescuers swept the building, searching for victims and the source of the fire, which was represented by a red strobe light. They found it tucked away in a back office.

After the drill, Vernon Hills Fire Lt. Ron Echtenacher said the exercise went pretty well.

“They found both victims that were inside in fairly short order,” he said.

Lincolnshire firefighters joined Countryside for Friday’s training. Additional trainings will be held June 9 and June 11. Firefighters from Libertyville and Mundelein have also been invited to participate in the trainings.