August 14, 2000
Fire crews schedule practice drill at Merrill College
Fire agencies from across Santa Cruz County will converge on Merrill College later this month for a countywide fire drill.
Firefighters will use smoke machines on August 26 at Merrill's B Dorm, filling several floors up with smoke. As many as nine fire engines and two ladder trucks are expected to respond during the practice, which is scheduled to take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
"It's a real-life type of scenario in an area that typically has pretty poor access for fire crews," said UCSC Fire Captain Don Brookes. "It's fantastic that this will be happening, because these are the people we'll be relying on in the event of an actual fire situation."
Brookes expects fire crews to learn a number of lessons from the practice session, including how to work in a building with multiple stories and in an area with limited access and limited staging space.
Members of the public are asked to stay clear of the area during the drill. Firefighters will use theatrical smoke during the practice, which is odorless and nontoxic.
The practice session is hosted by the City of Santa Cruz Fire Department in cooperation with UCSC.
