CINCINNATI -- Most people know what to do if a fire breaks out while they're in a home our office, but what if they're on the top floor of a high-rise?
Cincinnati firefighters trained Thursday on how to keep people safe in that situation. It was the first training of this size at the University of Cincinnati, with more than 350 firefighters from across the city participating.
"You've got different sets of challenges at these high rise buildings that we're not used to during normal single-family dwellings," Lt. Joe Arnold with the Cincinnati Fire Department said.
Firefighters learned about alarm operations, communications, ventilation, pipes and elevators at Marian Spencer Hall. Their training is always evolving, according to Arnold.
"Fire burns hotter now," he said. "The amount of training we have to do now has changed, increased dramatically."
Marian Spencer Hall is one of the first buildings in Ohio to be compliant under the new state fire code, giving them another aspect of training.
"They're taking advantage of the fact that the University of Cincinnati has a state-of-the-art high-rise here," UC Public Safety fire inspector Rob Schrand said.
The collaboration between UC and the fire department is also valuable, according to Schrand.
Marian Spencer Hall opens to students and faculty in the fall.
