Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 230 invited elected officials and attendees of Netroots Nation, a conference for progressives and activists, to take part in a basic firefighting class at its training facility in San Jose, Calif. Participants climbed ladders, operated fire hoses and Jaws of Life, performed CPR and navigated through a warren of dark, tight corridors—all while wearing full firefighting gear.

The class highlighted the demands of the day-in, day-out activities of firefighters and how the dangers are amplified when a firefighting unit is short-staffed and underequipped because of sequestration and other budget shortfalls.

“Not having backup in some cases or if something happens to one of the firefighters is really dangerous and something I think is unacceptable,” says San Jose City Council Member Donald Rocha, who participated in the training.

Read the rest of this article on the AFL-CIO @Work website.