Local residents are being warned about the possibility of heavy smoke in the Belleview area on Friday.
Crews from Marion County Fire Rescue will wrap up nearly two months of specialized instruction with a live-fire exercise from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Theresa Catholic Church, located at 11528 S. U.S. Highway 301 in Belleview.
Firefighters were provided with the training opportunity because the church is renovating its food pantry and it donated the building for the exercise. Because the church is located just off S. U.S. 301, motorists are being reminded to be aware of an increase presence of fire rescue crews, trucks and equipment in the area. The possibility of heavy smoke adds an additional level of caution for traffic congestion and a temporary lowered air quality for those in the area.
The live-fire training offers valuable, hands-on search-and-downed-firefighter training experienced by MCFR firefighters, paramedics and EMTs in a real-world situation. Regardless of the discipline, training is essential for skills retention and improvement.
The fire and emergency medical service is no different, and MCFR attributes this fiscal year’s rescued resident and more than a dozen saved animals to its focus on instruction, education and training opportunities like this one.