Browns Mills, N.J. — August 18 — At the Browns Mills station on Tuesday nite, firefighters from Woodland Township Fire & EMS and the Pemberton Township Volunteer Fire Company practiced forced entry.

Firefighters practiced getting entry through protected doors using a department door prop. In addition to covering appropriate methods for forcing entry, the training gave participants a controlled environment in which to practice tool use, posture, and coordination.

When personnel need to swiftly enter a structure for fire suppression, search, or rescue, forcible entry is a common fireground ability that may be required. Firefighters can practice their skills without waiting for an incident when they could be needed right away by practicing on a specialized prop.

Woodland Township Fire & EMS also identifies training as a core part of its operations, with members receiving instruction in fireground skills, rescue operations, emergency vehicle operations and hazardous-materials response.