Prepare, Prevent, and Protect: goal of annual fire training [Video]

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) – The Rapid City Fire Department says their mission is to “prepare, prevent, and protect.” Crews devoted their time Wednesday to the “prepare” portion of that mission statement.

The Rapid City Fire Department defied the adverse weather to hold their annual wildland fire refresher training.

“You might be thinking that it’s crazy that we’re doing wild land training while there’s snow coming down, but in the Black Hills we have a history of having fires like that, like the Legion Lake fire, where there was snow on the ground and falling,” said Ben McKee, a firefighter for the Rapid City Fire Department.

Every year, the Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher must be completed by all firefighters across the nation. This training prepares crews to make hard decisions, maintain safe and effective practices, and reduce accidents. It also prepares them to fight fires in areas with limited access.

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