Chattanooga Fire Recruits Burn a House CHATTANOOGA, TENN – Friday, April 20, 2007 – After several weeks of classroom training and practical exercises, 16 Chattanooga Fire Department recruits got to put it all together over the last two days.  Using a house on Franklin Drive that was donated to the city recruits spent two days perfecting their skills.   The recruits spent Thursday learning about interior attacks and search and rescue.  Small fires were lit inside the house and the recruits learned about how fire grows through time and what to expect when you are inside a building on fire.  These new firefighters also spent time learning how to extinguish those fires. Today, these men learned about defensive attacks and protecting exposures. Prior to the exercise the recruits gathered together to hear from Fire Chief Wendell Rowe who offered words of encouragement.   Once the fire was set, the new rookies posed for a group picture and then went through different exercises protecting exposures around the house as it burned to the ground. Hamilton County Rescue was on stand by with a med unit and the Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue Squad provided rehab.