Holland Township, N.J. — July 28 — Members of the Holland Township Volunteer Fire Company reviewed the principles of vertical ventilation and practiced roof operations using a practical training prop.

In order to provide firefighters with a regulated method of practicing cutting and moving on a roof surface, company members constructed the training props in May.

Vertical ventilation, which can be employed to remove heat, smoke, and combustion products from a building during structural firefighting, was covered in the training. The evolution also concentrated on the cooperation needed between teams working inside the structure and firefighters performing ventilation.

Coordination is an essential component of ventilation operations for firefighters. Prior to and throughout the operation, consideration must be given to the timing, location, and communication between the interior and ventilation workers.

The company described the training as part of its continuing effort to give members practical experience in skills that can be difficult to reproduce during routine station drills.

Holland Township Volunteer Fire Company is the official volunteer fire company serving Holland Township in Hunterdon County. The company currently reports more than 30 trained volunteer members, nine fire suppression and rescue units and more than 100 emergency calls annually.

The township's official code also identifies Holland Township Volunteer Fire Company as the municipality's official volunteer fire company.