FL Firefighter Seriously Injured During Training

A Largo firefighter sustained a fractured spine after falling from a training tower Wednesday.

The firefighter was training with a new piece of escape equipment when he fell about 14 feet and landed on his back, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Fire officials said the firefighter was equipped with a harness for bailout training and was secured with a belay line and a safety device. 

Largo Fire Rescue Chief Shelby Willis told the newspaper that the belay line and the safety device failed. 

The department has not identified the injured firefighter, who was taken to Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg

He was listed in stable condition and the recovery is expected to take three to six months.

The state fire marshal's office was called in to investigate the incident.