Mesa, AZ - The Mesa Fire and Medical Department and the IAFF Local 2260 welcomed elected officials from the City of Mesa, the Town of Queen Creek, and Superstition Fire & Medical District this morning at the Mesa Public Safety Training Facility for a regional Fire OPS 101 event.
"We were pleased to host elected officials from our regional partners today," said Fire Chief Mary Cameli. "Participants were provided hands on opportunities to deepen their understanding of the challenges faced by our personnel. Coupling the experience with moments to debrief increases the value of the exercise."
"On behalf of the 1,000 plus Local 2260 firefighters and emergency medical professionals, we are extremely grateful to all our elected officials, dignitaries, guests, and volunteers who came out to make our Fire OPS 101 event such a tremendous success," said Local 2260 President Scott Figgins. "By participating in today's event, our elected officials, dignitaries, and guests were able to experience, first-hand, how dangerous and labor intensive our jobs really are. Furthermore, it demonstrates how critical it is to have public safety professionals capable of meeting the mental, physical, and emotional demands of the job."
Personnel from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, Queen Creek Fire and Medical Department, and Superstition Fire & Medical District staffed various hands-on scenarios making this regional event possible. The elected participants in today's event experienced a search and rescue scenario, vehicle fire, vehicle extrication, and participated in an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response to a cardiac arrest.
"The mental and physical strength that our Fire and Medical Department personnel bring to the job is remarkable, and I appreciate the opportunity to experience the kinds of challenges they face on a daily basis," said Mayor John Giles. "Having this opportunity reinforces the importance of training and equipping our personnel with everything they need to be successful in the field, in service to Mesa, and for their safety."