Members of the Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department received hands-on training in forcible entry skills in a session taught by Capitol Fire Training, Saturday March 12.

Attendees spent the morning in a classroom session receiving a refresher on the various types of forcible entry tools and methods, and learned some "real world" skills you don't necessarily find in a textbook.

After lunch, crews participated in several practical sessions to put their learning to work. Stations included cutting through metal roll up doors and locks, forcing open locked doors in one and two-man scenarios, cutting through barred windows and other obstacles, and learning about the various types of lock systems we're likely to encounter in the community.

Sykesville Captain Dave Polikoff is one of the partners at Capitol Fire Training, and we thank him for helping to organize the day's training.