On Saturday, you may have seen smoke pouring into the air.

There was no need to be alarmed. Bainbridge Public Safety was conducting a Training Exercise on Evans Street behind the mall. Training is an important and necessary activity to make sure firefighters have all of the skills they need when fighting a fire, and a real structure is so much better than training that takes place in a classroom.

Fire Chief Doyle Welch stated, “Firefighters are always students, learning each and every day on the job. We never stop learning and training because lives depend on it.”

Participating in training from Bainbridge Public Safety were Engineer Jeff Kelly, Engineer Joboa Dixon, Engineer Michael Jenkins, Captain Terry Pait, Officer Jason Hayes, Officer Davina Evans, Officer Tony Nix, Officer Tim Shaw, Firefighter LaDaric Jones, Firefighter Bob Smith, and Fire Chief Doyle Welch.

Participating in training from Decatur County Fire & Rescue were Lieutenant Patrick Cofty, Firefighter Van Eakin, Lieutenant Eddie Polk, Firefighter Adam Taylor, Firefighter Shane McClendon, and Captain Brian Thompson of the Faceville Fire Department.