Firefighters Using Vacant Downtown House for Drills, Training

If you've noticed a recurrence of fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency rescue vehicles tending to the small white house at 140 Crystal Lake Avenue, no need for alarm.

There has been no fire, or emergency at the old two-story. The little white house is vacant, and the owner eventually plans to tear it down, Crystal Lake fire officials said.

But in the meantime, the homeowner has graciously agreed to permit the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department to utilize the house for a variety of training and drill activities.

"We've been using that house for a couple months now," said Deputy Chief Paul DeRaedt.

On Wednesday, firefighters were at the house - along with one fire truck and two ambulances nearby - practicing hose-deployment drills, DeRaedt said. Firefighers practiced pulling hoses from the truck and dragging it to the scene.

DeRaedt said the department has plans for future training sessions at the house including conducting mock searches in blacked-out conditions, and wall breaches during which firefighters attack blazes spreading between the walls of a house.

"Before they tear the house down, we will have ventilating training," DeRaedt said. "That's when the firefighters cut a hole in the roof of the house to let out the heat and smoke. We'll also practice coordinating how we enter a building during a fire."