Greenwich officials got the chance to walk a mile in a firefighter's boots Friday through a training program.

The Greenwich Professional Firefighters' Union hosted the program at the fire department training facility on First Street where town officials got firsthand experience fighting a live car fire, stretching a hose to a second-level floor in blackout conditions, and using the Jaws of Life and other tools to extricate someone from a vehicle.

Firefighters also gave a live fire demo in a 600-degree, smoke-filled room.

Greenwich Fire Department Chief Pete Siecienski says the point is to help local officials understand the department's needs from a new perspective.

Firefighters say they hope officials take the experiences they had and bring them forward into decisions they make in the future in terms of funding and equipment, and to understand what firefighters go through.