The first ten minutes

Lincoln volunteer firefighters put the Ponderosa Snow Warriors clubhouse to use Friday night as a training location to practice the actions they take during their first ten minutes on a structure fire.

Lincoln fire chief Zach Muse said the evening's training provided both veteran and rookie firefighters a chance to get on the same page when it comes to the tasks and tactics of an initial attack.

"Everything from truck positioning to initial hose layout to setting up water supply...so that everybody's the same place when we roll up," he said.

For newer volunteers like David Davis, Chris Joyce and Jim Oly, it was a chance to become familiar with each truck's duty during a fire, why they bring it and how they position it.

"Continuing on into what we're gonna do right when we see the fire. First hose, what it's gonna do, second hose, what its gonna do" Muse said. "We're trying to get everybody doing the same thing so they can do every job."

Although the firefighters set up the trucks and the water supplies, ran hose and practiced spray patterns, much of the training was a 'talk through' that discussed everything from the flash potential of particulates in smoke and air , to why they use particular spray patterns at particular times, to the need to communicate effectively with property owners during a fire, which is key to identifying and monitoring the locating of particular hazards such as ammunition.

"It was great, good stuff on the dangers and what to look for before you go in," said Oly , who had volunteered that very day. Oly said he helped during the chimney fire at Shane and Teresa Brown's house last week and was asked if he was interested in joining, which he did.