ST. CLOUD -- Local lawmakers and media members got to become firefighters for a day this weekend.

The St. Cloud Fire Department hosted a Fire Ops 101 event at Station #2 on Sunday. This is the second time the event has been held in St. Cloud with the first happening in 2019.

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Seven participants rotated through four stations where they suited up in the necessary gear and got hands-on experience with extrication, search and rescue, and the heat and growth stages of a fire, and learned CPR with the option to receive a certification.

Similar events are held every year at firehouses around the country to raise awareness of what it takes to work for the fire department, and why sufficient funding and equipment matter.

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