Area firefighters go into a trailer with an active fire during a training exercise last weekend in Rugby. The event was led by members of the Williston Fire Department. (Bryce Berginski/PCT)

Sirens blared last Saturday morning to announce a training exercise at the Rugby Fire Hall.

Firefighters from Rugby, St. John, Rolla and Rolette attended a live fire exercise led by a team out of Williston, according to Derek Busch, training officer for the Rugby Fire Department. The exercise also helped firefighters undergoing firefighter one certification.

“It’s a good scenario to go in,” Busch said. “If you’ve never been in a house (fire it) kind of helps you figure out what to do.”

Busch said firefighters also learned spraying out fires in as well as ventilating buildings.

The exercise involved a large trailer with an active fire inside. Busch said the exercise was a controlled event, with trucks set up in case of emergency.

“We know what’s in this trailer. We know where the wall’s at. You can’t see in there, but there’s a wall there,” Busch said. “The difference is if we go into a house, we don’t know what’s in the house or another building. We don’t know what we’re expecting.”

Firefighter one certification involves a written test of over 100 questions, a practical exam, as well as training. Busch said that once completed, the certification is good forever.

“It’s never a bad idea to have too many trained,” Busch said.

Busch said most of Rugby’s fire department has firefighter two certification, and that while firefighter one covers basic and intermediate training, firefighter two allows for more incident command.