05/26/2026
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During the month of May, the Springfield Fire Department conducted a series of high-rise fire training drills in conjunction with regional fire service partners. The training was hosted on the campus of Missouri State University through a partnership with university staff that allowed firefighters to utilize a high-rise facility for realistic training scenarios.
Participating departments included the Springfield Fire Department, Republic Fire Department, and the Battlefield, Brookline, Logan-Rogersville, Ozark, and Willard fire protection districts.
High-rise fire operations are considered high-risk, low-frequency incidents that require extensive coordination, planning, and specialized training. While participating agencies routinely conduct fire and live-fire training, high-rise emergencies present unique operational challenges due to elevated access requirements, complex building layouts, large occupant loads, and extended operational demands.
Through these drills, firefighters trained on a variety of critical operational objectives including:
🔥Incident command structure and coordination
🔥Fire attack and suppression techniques
🔥Mass evacuation procedures
🔥Standpipe system utilization
🔥Fireground radio communications
🔥Multi-agency coordination and resource management.
“This type of regional training is essential to ensuring firefighters are prepared to respond safely and effectively to complex emergencies,” said Battalion Chief Ben Wahl of the Springfield Fire Department Training Bureau. “The ability to train in a realistic high-rise environment alongside our regional partners strengthens operational readiness and improves coordinated response capabilities for the entire region.”
The Springfield Fire Department and its regional partners remain committed to ongoing training, collaboration, and professional development to ensure the highest level of emergency services delivery to the communities they serve.