VIDEO: A dozen firefighters from Owensboro’s sister city of Olomouc, in the Czech Republic, are in town this week for training.
The visit is part of a firefighter exchange program established in 2024. Owensboro crews trained in Olomouc two years ago, and a delegation from Olomouc visited last year to plan this week’s return trip.
“The main purpose was to exchange knowledge, the differences between the systems of fire protection and also differences and similarities between our communities,” Lenka Gräsleová, head of crisis management and civil protection for Olomouc, said.
Gräsleová said Czech crews use less water and nozzles, use a single-rope system for rescues compared with Owensboro’s two-rope system, and do not pair firefighters with police on active shooter calls, as is done in the U.S.
“It’s really great to see how things work here,” Śimon Slavíček, an Olomouc firefighter, said. “The houses are completely different, the amount of water you use, the approaches.”
WFIE-TV NBC 14 Evansville
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