By RYAN CHRISTNER

rchristner@dailynews.net

As members of the Hays Fire Department conduct hands-on training exercises this month, there's always the hope they'll never be required to implement that knowledge in a real-life situation.

Unfortunately, things don't always go according to plan, which is why firefighters do not take these training dates for granted.

"We're very fortunate to have this today, let alone for three weeks," firefighter and primary training instructor Justin Choitz said Wednesday as he and the other members of the "A" shift conducted drills inside a house on West 16th, directly behind Fire Station 1.

This is the second of three weeks of training at the location, which has been acquired from the city and is scheduled for demolition when the department finishes next week.

All 21 career firefighters, as well as the four volunteer members, and in some cases the Ellis County Rural Fire Department and crews from Ellis and Victoria, will participate in the training evolutions.

"It's just been a real good experience for all us guys up here," Choitz said.

Last week, firefighters focused on strengthening their confidence using a self-contained breathing apparatus, worked on increasing their air management skills while wearing the equipment and undergoing obscured-vision training.

Rope training off Weist Hall on the Fort Hays State University campus also was offered with the help of instructors from the University of Kansas Fire and Rescue Training Institute.

Most of those skills are being reinforced this week, along with search and rescue, firefighter self-rescue, thermal imaging camera training and Rapid Intervention Team techniques.

Because the house will be torn down afterward, several of the more destructive exercises, such as knocking holes in brick walls and breaking out windows, will be performed next week.

"We're just going to go ahead and oblige the city manager and not make it ugly until the last couple days," Choitz said.

This is the second time this year the department has been able to train inside a home, which is not something that happens often, Choitz added.

"For us to be able to have an actual house is rare," he said.

So, they're making the most of the opportunity.

In a normal year, Hays firefighters might receive a total of 1,200 hours of combined training. However, Choitz said they are approaching 1,100 hours just for the month of June.

The house has been set up for a variety of scenarios, looking a bit like a fun house inside.

During the self-rescue drill, firefighters operate under the assumption they are working inside a room where deteriorating conditions prohibit their escape the way they came in. Thus, they are forced to use an axe to break through a sheet of drywall -- supplied by Curt Pfannenstiel of Heartland Building Center -- to get to a safer part of the house.

Another exercise simulates firefighters ascending a landing in a home and having the floor collapse as they crawl along a hallway, sending them tumbling head over heals onto a mattress below.

"It gives them the feeling of losing control of where they are," Choitz said.

Aside from testing their physical fitness, all of the training situations are designed to make the firefighters better acquainted with the equipment they will be wearing and the tools they will be using while in emergency situations.

"We want to make sure these guys are comfortable using their equipment and are confident in it," Choitz said.