McHenry County College’s fire science department receives new ladder truck for training

McHenry County College’s fire science department has a new ladder truck for students to practice on.

The truck was obtained from the Stowe Township Volunteer Fire Department in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and joined the college’s roster of equipment in April, according to a news release.

The truck’s ladder extends to 105 feet, or about seven stories in height. It will give students the experience and training needed to serve taller local buildings, such as the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake, hospitals, older downtown areas or taller residential buildings, according to a news release.

During the program, students will train by climbing the ladder truck, practice with elevated water streams and gain experience using other equipment stored on the vehicle, which is used in search-and-rescues, ventilation, forcible entry, vehicle extrication and specialized rescues, MCC said.

The truck mainly will be used on the college’s campus, but as the program continues to grow, it may visit off-site locations for special training requests.

The truck will be incorporated into the curriculum in the fall.

For information about MCC’s fire science program, visit www.mchenry.edu/firescience.