Edmond firefighters train downtown

Two vagrants were reported to be in the building. One had managed to get outside, and the other was still trapped inside and needed Edmond firefighters to search the smoke-filled building.

A firefighter got lost inside, fell to the basement and now needed help from his fellow firefighters inside the building at Fourth Street and Littler Avenue.

Three crews of firefighters were on the scene for what appeared to be a real-life situation. But it wasn't.

It was a self-contained breathing apparatus drill held by the fire department twice a year. This time the drill was held in an unfamiliar building downtown instead of the department's training facility.

“The drill is about decision-making and placing challenges in the way,” said Jon Neely, chief training officer.

The smoke wasn't real either. It was theatrical smoke. The windows of the building, now owned by the University of Central Oklahoma, were covered with black plastic, making it even more difficult for the firefighters.

“It is dark in there,” Neely said. “You can't see your hand in front of your face. They have a flashlight, but it doesn't help.”