LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) — Holding up a hand tool with a sharp end, Lawrence firefighter Jeff Martin explained they were going to break the window in the older model, tan Honda Accord, parked behind fire headquarters.
“When we break the window, just like in firefighting, we are going to break the whole window,” said Martin in English.
Fellow Lawrence Firefighter Juan “Manny” Gonzalez quickly translated Martin’s words into Spanish for a group of Dominican firefighters surrounding them.
“Short little chops is all it takes,” Martin continues, with Gonzalez translating as the firefighters simulated rescuing an injured person from a car wreck.
From July 13 to 20, the Lawrence Fire Department hosted a group of firefighters from the Dominican Republic who came to the Immigrant City to learn more and train harder in the life-saving profession.
This is the second summer Dominican jakes have come to Lawrence for such training.
“We are giving back to our brothers from another country,” said Gonzalez, who has both volunteered his time and worked during his regular shifts with the firefighters who from Neyba, a city in the Dominican Republic.
A large number of immigrants in Lawrence are from the DR.
Eleven firefighters from Neyba as well as four officials from a group called “Fundacion Neyba-USA” came on the trip. When they weren’t training with Lawrence crews, the firefighters stayed at private homes around the city.
“This training will ensure that our firefighters do a more effective job, thus reducing, maybe eradicating the loss of life we currently encounter,” according to a letter sent to Lawrence Chief Brian Moriarty from the “Fundacion” in May.
On Thursday morning, during the car wreck simulation, Lawrence firefighters showed their Dominican counterparts tools they could use in life-saving situations. This included both hand tools, such as a halligan and axe, and powers tools, including jaws of life extrication tools which are used to cut trapped people out of vehicle wreckage.
The visiting firefighters also received boat, ladder and water training, Moriarty said.
During Thursday’s training, the Dominican firefighters took turns wearing Moriarty’s firefighting helmet and protective gloves as they smashed up and pulled apart the old Accord.
Martin explained to the group that anytime they are using “power equipment” at a crash scene, it’s standing operating procedure to have a water line ready in case a fire breaks out.
“If we smelled gas, we would not be using that saw,” noted Moriarty, who observed the training Thursday morning.
Gonzalez said the Dominican firefighters would also like the Lawrence firefighters to visit their country.
“They want a Lawrence fire delegation to go there to see how they do things without the equipment we have here,” said Gonzalez, a 22-year Lawrence firefighter who also runs the nonprofit city group “Heal Lawrence.”
With Moriarty’s ongoing support, Gonzalez said firefighters will continue training with firefighters from the Dominican Republic and other countries if possible.
“We never close the doors on people. This is what we do. Firefighters try to help other people,” he said.
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