Colorado Springs firefighters use Chapel Hills Mall for roof training

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Firefighters are using an old department store to do ventilation training, a training they rarely get to do.

It does not often fire departments get the opportunity to do this particular type of practice because it requires cutting holes in the roof. But, the old Sears at the Chapel Hills Mall is getting torn down as part of a new development on the site, and the company working on the project donated the building to CSFD for ventilation training.

The fire department was happy to use the opportunity to train their teams in a real-world situation before the structure is torn down.

For the next few weeks, CSFD firefighters will be working on their roof operation skills. They say it might be hot, dirty work, but it's critical to their mission.