Real-Structure Drills: Ridgefield Volunteers Hone Search and Ventilation Tactics with Cliffside Park

Ridgefield, NJ - Firefighters honed high-intensity, practical fireground skills during a comprehensive joint training evolution inside an acquired vacant structure.

On September 2, members of the Ridgefield Fire Department teamed up with the Cliffside Park Fire Department in Bergen County to run through realistic operational scenarios that are impossible to fully replicate in a standard classroom setting.

Operating under realistic interior conditions, crews practiced aggressive hoseline advancement through narrow hallways and tight turns, conducted rapid primary search-and-rescue sweeps to locate trapped victims, and performed vertical ventilation roof-cutting operations using rotary and chain saws.

Conducting drills within an actual building provided invaluable, practical repetitions while sharpening operational coordination and communication between the two neighboring departments.

The Ridgefield Fire Department extended its sincere appreciation to Councilman Dr. Gino Ramundo for generously providing the property and continuing to support the hands-on training and tactical development of local first responders.