The tower offers firefighters a chance to practice all types of skills, from a search and rescue to a basic basement fire to ventilation and ladder use, said Plainville’s second assistant Chief Robert O’Dea.

"We started talking about doing this probably two or three months ago," he said. "It’s giving us a chance to work on coordination of two departments as well as an opportunity to learn one another’s equipment."

He said firefighters would set up as many as six scenarios during the morning training session, depending on time allowances, and that the two departments plan to have at least one more training session together.

Farmington’s assistant fire Chief Don Antigiovanni said that as resources have become more limited over the years, many fire departments are depending on assistance from surrounding towns to aid with calls.

The tower is a cinder block building four stories high with a rooftop balcony and basement, ideal for training fire fighters on how to search a smoke-filled building, how to maneuver safely inside a home whose electricity is gone and is therefore dark, and which can have furniture or even rooms in unexpected places.

In the search-and-rescue drill, a dummy, weighing anywhere from 60 to 100 lbs., is placed in a room of the "house," and fire fighters have to locate the "victim" and provide rescue.

Communications between public safety departments, including fire departments, has become more of an issue since Sept. 11, 2001 when it became clear many departments were unable to talk to one another.

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