If you happen to see a fleet of fire trucks and rescue vehicles driving around campus today, don’t be alarmed.

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Ames Fire Department, in coordination with Iowa State, will be conducting rescue exercises at the Central Heating Plant.

“We’ll be conducting a confined-space rescue scenario,” said Lt. Scott Siberski of the Ames Fire Department. “It’s a culmination of our training, and it gives us a chance to work on the technical skills involved with this type of rescue.”

The training is part of the skills requirements for the Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) team. The rescue personnel will be using a rope system to lower a simulated injured person from a coal bunker at the top of the heating plant to the ground.

“In layman’s terms, a confined space is an area not designed for human occupancy,” Siberski said.

This coal bunker satisfies the requirements for confined space.

The Ames Fire Department is responsible for handling ISU situations requiring this type of emergency rescue.

“It’s the job of the university to provide an emergency team or to designate one for situations involving confined spaces,” said Paul Richmond, manager of the employee/workplace health and safety department. “The Ames Fire Department fulfills our requirement, and the drill being held satisfies our OSHA requirement.”

Involved in the exercise will be numerous emergency vehicles, ISU environmental health and safety, ISU Department of Public Safety and Ames Fire Department staff.

The drill is strictly for the personnel directly involved with the rescue scenario.

“The rescue vehicles will not be activating their sirens for the drill,” Siberski said.

The public is welcome to view the training exercise. The Central Heating Plant is located on the east side of campus, across the street from the Forker Building.