Old Saybrook, CT - Dedication and readiness were on full display as dozens of local first responders came together for an evening of demanding, hands-on operations training designed to keep skills razor-sharp for complex structural emergencies.

The intensive session took place on Tuesday evening, August 18, 2026, bringing more than 30 members of the Old Saybrook Fire Department to the Clark Field Training Facility in Middlesex County. Working under the close instruction and evaluation of Training Division officers, crews rotated through a series of vital truck company evolutions.

Firefighters practiced vertical roof ventilation techniques to master releasing trapped heat and toxic gases, drilled on the rapid raising and secure placement of ground ladders, and operated elevated aerial ladder equipment while refining high-stakes primary search tactics.

The practical drill night quickly underscored the reality that emergency service never takes a timeout for practice. Right in the midst of their training rotations, crews were called to drop their drills and shift seamlessly into live-response mode when tones sounded for two separate real-world incidents.

Firefighters immediately mobilized to handle a commercial fire alarm activation at a business on Main Street, as well as a community public service call in the Meadowood neighborhood, successfully resolving both situations before returning to Clark Field to complete their training.