LOCKPORT, NY — August 20 — Firefighters from different departments in Niagara County participated in a joint training session at the Niagara County Training Facility. This hands-on exercise included various foreground scenarios.

The Lockport Firefighters, based at 1 Locks Plaza in Rockport, were the first to arrive and take charge of the training operation.

The Barker Fire Department Inc. and Hartland Volunteer Fire Company joined as mutual-aid partners.

During the training, crews worked together on tasks such as hose advancement, Rapid Intervention Team (IT) drills, apparatus operations, equipment handling, and overall incident management.

The exercise allowed firefighters to collaborate with personnel from other departments and gain experience with each other's equipment, communication systems, and operational methods.

The Niagara County Public Safety Training Facility in Rockport is used for training emergency services personnel.

According to county regulations, any organization using the facility must follow set procedures, with a qualified instructor and a designated officer or chief present during training.

The facility is also listed in regional training resources at 74 Niagara Street Extension, Rockport, NY 14095.

For firefighters, the training offered more than just skill development.

It helped crews get to know each other better before they might have to work together during a real emergency.

The August 20 session reinforced an important foundation principle: training together makes responding together more effective.