(Video and photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
You heard here about the plan for Seattle Fire Department trainees to practice their skills at the soon-to-be-demolished structures on the future Murray Combined Sewer Overflow storage-tank site across from Lowman Beach. Now, see (and in the clip above, hear Capt. Eddie Nelson explain) for yourself what happened. WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams shadowed them during the first day of their two-day training session:
![Trainee Josh Milton readies his air pack for training.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training04-e1364588036467.jpg)
That’s trainee Josh Milton readying his air pack. Next, trainee Ricardo Cuevas, putting on his breathing mask:
![Lowman_Fire_Training20](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training20-e1364585473559.jpg)
After getting geared up, trainees headed up to practice cutting a roof for “vertical ventilation:
![Lowman_Fire_Training12](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training12-e1364585307526.jpg)
More scenes from the firefighter trainees’ work – which comes about midway through their training – ahead:
![Lowman_Fire_Training03](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training03-e1364579812194.jpg)
![Trainees watch the ladder truck extension during training.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training05-e1364585217224.jpg)
Among the lessons learned, how to remove power lines:
![Lowman_Fire_Training07](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training07-e1364585236533.jpg)
And more ventilation:
![Lowman_Fire_Training08](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training08-e1364585259236.jpg)
![A trainee climbs up the ladder of a truck to work on vertical ventilation.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training19-e1364585437665.jpg)
![Lowman_Fire_Training26](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training26-e1364586100807.jpg)
![Lowman_Fire_Training24](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training24-e1364587970919.jpg)
From across the street, the training group had an audience:
![Lowman_Fire_Training27](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training27-e1364586088116.jpg)
That’s Finnegan Gras-Usry, 9, left, and Kai Kindem, 8, watching.
![Seattle Fire Department train on vacant homes across Lowman Beach Park.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training06-e1364586034369.jpg)
Whatever the task, the gear is a matter of life and death:
![Trainee William Rose gears up before training.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training25-e1364588001562.jpg)
Above, that’s trainee William Rose. In the next photo, as trainees practiced breaching walls, Tony Savelli tried to climb through an opening:
![Lowman_Fire_Training13](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training13-e1364585332663.jpg)
Teamwork is vital. Below, Luke Sampson pulls Josh Milton through a wall:
![Trainee Luke Sampson, left, pulls Josh Milton through breached wall](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training16-e1364585372146.jpg)
The trainees learned from veterans – below, a lieutenant is showing how the interior could be difficult to navigate:
![A Lieutenant shows the trainees how a house could be very hard to navigate.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training17-e1364585393782.jpg)
More breaching:
![Trainees practice on wall breaching.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training21-e1364585826148.jpg)
![Trainees practice on wall breaching.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training22-e1364585840362.jpg)
Below, Lt. Mike Daigle, talking with trainees outside:
![Lt. Mike Daigle talks with trainees during training across from Lowman Park.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training28-e1364586055700.jpg)
And back inside:
![Lowman_Fire_Training09](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training09-e1364586016248.jpg)
![Trainee Luke Sampson works on wall breaching training.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training15-e1364585937592.jpg)
![Trainees practice on wall breaching.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training23-e1364585919914.jpg)
![Lowman_Fire_Training29](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training29-e1364585879266.jpg)
![Lowman_Fire_Training11](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training11-e1364585280653.jpg)
Eventually, there is time for a break:
![A practice rescue dummy.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training14-e1364585351722.jpg)
![Trainee Cameron Rowand takes a drink of water during training.](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training10-e1364585950353.jpg)
That’s trainee Cameron Rowand. Hydration is important. And at this site, there’s a perk:
![Lowman_Fire_Training01](https://westseattleblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Lowman_Fire_Training01-e1364579735464.jpg)
Another round of training at the site is planned next month, including some burning, before the county finishes the demolition and starts work on the storage-tank facility. SFD told us they are very grateful to the county for allowing them the chance to train here.
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