During Firefighter 1 class, teaching firefighter knots is a necessary but often challenging topic to teach in a large group setting. If your experience was anything like mine, the instructor stood at the front of the classroom with a rope, demonstrating how to tie each knot.

   On June 9, large smoke plumes engulfed the air surrounding the west side of Ellsworth Air Force Base. It wasn’t a real emergency. 

   The smoke was part of the Ellsworth Fire Department’s annual fire training which included both the South Dakota and Nebraska National Guard.