(By Fire Chief Matt Love) The Fort Myers Beach Fire Department completed two weeks of training using the various buildings found on the Margaritaville development site. The training focused on multi-unit, multi-jurisdictional fire scenarios using the Pierview Hotel and several other buildings.
Fire crews arrived on scene, developed incident action plans, and worked to accomplish the necessary tasks to mitigate the given scenario. Training staff used theatre smoke to simulate fire conditions and rescue mannequins to simulate trapped victims. 
The buildings gave the opportunity for fire crews to gain experience working with true building components rather than training props. Crews were able to cut impact windows using power saws to create pathways into a building for rescue or firefighter escape. Crews worked on vertical ventilation (cutting holes in roofs to allow superheated smoke and gases to escape from the building) on the various roof types.
Fort Myers Beach Fire Department invited our fire service neighbors, Iona McGregor Fire District and Bonita Springs Fire Control District, to participate in the training. This provided the opportunity for the three departments to train together and improve emergency operations and coordination. Each day approximately 12 fire apparatus and 35 firefighters from the three agencies took part in the training.
Fort Myers Beach Fire Department would like to thank TPI Hospitality, Mr. Tom Torgerson, and Mr. John Dammermann for providing this opportunity to our local fire departments. The experience gained from this training will assist in making our community a safer place for all.