The old, brick Bainbridge Leisure Services building sits mostly unused at 223 Donalson Street near Chason Park.

Tuesday afternoon, its large windows were clouded and the smell of a faintly sweet smoke escaped from the blue front door as a group of Bainbridge Public Safety cadets completed a series of training exercises.

The new recruits were learning techniques for interior rescue from burning or smoke-filled buildings, said BPS fire prevention Major Doyle Welch.

Using a smoke machine and fans, Welch and engineers Jimmy Copp and Michael Smith filled the building with smoke, giving the five cadets a practice run before they head to fire academy in a few weeks.

Small objects were hidden in various rooms, and cadets would work their way through the building on their hands and knees looking for the objects.

“We’re usually searching for something larger, like infants and toddlers,” Copp said. “If we can pinpoint and find pieces that are much small, we can hone in on those skills.”

Copp and Smith also demonstrated a mayday drill and showed the cadets what to do if a firefighter goes down.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure our brother is going to survive and make it out,” Copp said.

Welch said that the building was helpful because it was set up similarly to a house