Michigan and Dearborn politicians, along with Dearborn Patch editor Jessica Carreras, attended firefighter training on Thursday with members of the Dearborn Fire Department.

The training was put on by the Combined Regional Emergency Services Training program at their state-of-the-art center at Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills. The complex includes a model home and businesses, as well as a training tower and car fire simulator.

Typically used for the actual training of would-be firefighters, the facilities were instead used Tuesday to teach local officials–including several Dearborn City Council members, Dearborn Rep. George Darany, state Sen. Morris Hood and Congressman John Dingell–about the importance and rigors of firefighting.

Most officials actually participated in the exercises, learning how to find their way around a burning building, rescue a person from a smoke-filled room, and–of course–how to put out fires.

"We'll have fire, we'll have heat, we'll have smoke," explained Dearborn Firefighter Union President Joey Thorington. "It's as realistic as we can get without being dangerous."