Independent Banker - November 2022 - 85

Next: Bankers take the lead at LEAD FWD 
" We had a positive reaction from every customer
we saw, and I feel the community as a whole was
excited to see our city's fire department get to train. "
-KATE YARBRO, WOOD & HUSTON BANK
Shortly after the move, Yarbro
was approached by Matt Mittrucker,
battalion chief of training and
safety for the Cape Girardeau Fire
Department. He asked if it would be
possible to do some training in the
building while they were waiting for
demolition to begin.
" After discussing it with some
colleagues, " says Yarbro, " we decided
it would be a great opportunity
for the department's training and
could also have a positive impact on
our community. "
" We often look for buildings in
town that may be demolished but
that are still in safe conditions that
we can train with, " says Mittrucker.
" Those opportunities rarely
present themselves. "
Wood & Huston, he notes,
" graciously allowed us full access to
the old building, before demolition,
without burning it due to the close
proximity to other structures. "
Bringing in the battalion
The fire department has three shifts
of 21 firefighters each who staff
four engines and one ladder. Each
shift was able to send crews at least
twice for training before the building
was demolished.
" Each crew trained several hours
each day while rotating in and out, so
that we could still provide emergency
services promptly, " says Mittrucker.
The multiday training incorporated
many different skills that crews would
need in an emergency.
" We accomplished search training
for victims in large structures used
for commercial purposes that have
drastically different layouts than
a normal residential structure, "
Mittrucker adds. " We advanced
charged hoselines into the structure
and were actually able to spray
water in order to practice water
stream control. "
However, one of the best trainings
was practicing roof ventilation on a
real roof.
" Due to the nature of the action,
we often can't do this in training,
because it destroys the roof by
cutting smoke and relief holes into a
structure using chainsaws and rotary
saws, " he says. " This action greatly
improves victim survivability and
improved working conditions for the
interior firefighters. "
" It was fun for us to see them
training for a few days, " Yarbro says.
" We had some people concerned at
first that the bank was on fire, but
we quickly spread the word that
the fire department was just doing
some training. We had a positive
reaction from every customer we
saw, and I feel the community as a
whole was excited to see our city's
fire department get to train. "
The facility was demolished the first
week of September, after training had
been completed. At that time, Wood &
Huston Bank arranged to have the lot
graded and concrete poured.
A better customer experience
The new, open-concept facility
includes additional parking, two
ITMs and other features designed to
give customers a more customized
banking experience. According to
Yarbro, the new branch is " a breath
of fresh air and a modern take on
banking. We are looking forward to
creating our home here, and excited
for the future. "
" Any opportunity to partner
with a local business such as Wood
& Huston is a win for both, " says
Mittrucker. " It shows the bank's
devotion to its community and shows
our community businesses that we are
ready to respond to any emergency
that may arise.
" Wood & Huston's allowance for
us to train made an impact on all the
citizens of Cape Girardeau for the
foreseeable future, due to the fact that
our firefighters will be familiar in a
similar situation when emergencies
occur, " he adds. " It was truly a
priceless opportunity. " 
William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.
independentbanker.org Q 85
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Independent Banker - November 2022

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