By Laura Haynes
Special to the Clarkston News

AUBURN HILLS — Independence Township officials had the opportunity to spend the day of Oct. 6 learning much of what goes into a firefighter’s day at Oakland Community College’s CREST Training Center.
This exercise, put on by OAKWAY, the local mutual aid association, was designed to give elected officials and municipal staff a glimpse into what firefighters experience on the job.
During the event, they were able to see how paramedics triage patients during an active shooter event, use the jaws of life to take apart a car, put out a house and car fire, and perform an extraction. As part of the training, participants put on full gear, with a weight of over 80 pounds, and used multiple tools to complete their assignments.
“Participating in Fire Ops 101 was an incredibly enlightening and humbling experience,” said Independence Township Clerk Cari Neubeck.   “It offered me a glimpse into the demanding and heroic world of our township firefighters. From donning the gear and handling equipment to experiencing a controlled burn, every moment was a testament to their dedication and courage.”
“This program not only deepened my respect for firefighters, but also highlighted the importance of local and community support for their vital work.  It is a profound way to appreciate the real-life heroes among us and to ensure we stand by those who stand ready to protect us.”
“A heartfelt thank you to Chief (Dave) Piché, Capt. (Derek) Stamper and Lt. (Shaun) Fitzpatrick for your invaluable assistance during the training.  Lastly, a heartfelt thanks to the several IAFF Unions for the gifted helmets.”
Also participating was Independence Township Treasurer Paul Brown. “They don’t tell you as a kid that playing a real fireman requires strapping on 80 to 100 pounds of gear and we were fortunate during the training that temperatures were in the 60s,” said Brown. “Had they been in the 80s, I would not have completed the six-hour program. The biggest takeaway for me was capturing the true understanding that our survival, in a life-threatening situation, may be dependent upon not just one first responder, but on a team of responders who have trained for years to know not just what to do next, but what their fellow responders will do as well. Our first responders train every day to ensure they know what their teammates will do almost instinctively and their lives, as well as those they serve, depend on the trust they have in each other.
“Of the areas in which we trained; this teamwork was no more evident than in the house fire scenario. Imagine putting on 50 pounds of heavy closing and boots, strapping on a 30-pound oxygen tank, putting a heavy black face mask over your head with zero visibility, and then walking into a burning building you’ve never been in before. Our team is prepared to do this every day and it can only be done by a well-trained team of heroes.”
“Thank you to Cari and Paul for spending the day training with Independence Township firefighters and OAKWAY. It is vitally important to our mission to ensure those elected to represent our residents understand and experience the work that goes into being a firefighter. The IFD appreciates Cari and Paul’s willingness to partake in a very long, and hot, day,” said Piché. “Cari and Paul did themselves and the Independence Fire Department very proud with their efforts and performance during the OAKWAY Fire OPS 101 training event”
OAKWAY is a mutual aid association that serves 11 communities and over 700,000 residents in Oakland County. The CREST Center at Oakland Community College is a collaboration between local police, fire, and EMS agencies used to provide realistic settings for problems faced by emergency responders and is the largest police and fire academy in southeast Michigan.

PHOTO: From left, Township Treasurer Paul Brown, Independence Fire Department Lt. Shaun Fitzpatrick, and Township Clerk Cari Neubeck gear up on Oct. 6 to learn about firefighter training. Photo: Laura Haynes