LOGAN — On her monthly Speak to the Mayor program on KVNU, Logan Mayor Holly Daines said the city’s fire and EMS personnel do ongoing training.
Once in a while they do what’s called Fire Ops 101 and they occasionally invite elected officials to come see what it’s about.
“I, at first, thought I was just going to go observe and watch, but I got there and they had a set of turnouts for me, as they call the gear. By the time I put on all the equipment, the pants, the coat, a helmet, you have a scuba-type mask for when you go into the smoke-filled areas, I literally could hardly walk,” she explained.
Daines said a lot of people don’t realize they have a fire training facility just east of the landfill. She said all the fire personnel, both men and women, have to pass the physical fitness tests.
“I am really impressed with them, but they put the equipment on me and one thing they have that they call the smoke tower. So, they have kind of a two or three story tower that you go in.
“They light a fire in there, so it’s smoky and it’s hot and you go in (with) all your gear and equipment,” Daines added. “You have your breathing apparatus on. But you basically have to feel your way along the walls to get in and out, and that’s to train people that they often have to go in those situations.”
She said they use infrared devices to help them locate a victim that might be in a fire and can’t find their way out.
Also, Mayor Daines discussed a mid-block walkway that has a new mural downtown.
“Logan City has a mid-block walkway that connects from the courthouse block all the way to Center Street. And so you walk through, there’s kind of a little alley between buildings.
“Somebody’s Attic is on one side, and they have just partnered with the city through our public art program to put a fun, new public art mural on that west side of their building. They selected a local artist, Liesl Cannon, it’s kind of a Cache Valley scene, lots of interesting things from the valley.”
Later this fall, the mayor said they are going to add a pedestrian walkway across 100 North, like was done on Center Street, and then extend the walkway all the way to the library on the north and the post office and city hall.
With that, Utah Department of Transportation has given the city permission to put in a pedestrian-activated flashing beacon mid-block on 200 North, so that, too, will be going in perhaps this autumn.