More than 250 firefighters from 121 departments across the state were registered to participate in Winter Fire School this weekend at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem.
The training event on Saturday and Sunday will include classroom learning sessions and hands-on training exercises designed to improve firefighters’ ability to protect lives, property and natural resources in their communities.
Philomath Fire and Rescue reported that firefighter Nate Bending was scheduled to attend for vehicle extrication training. The hands-on class will be led by the City of Dallas Fire and EMS Department.
The weekend’s offerings include nine different National Fire Academy courses covering a range of topics including leadership and company operations, decision making at structure fires, the roles of safety officers at emergency responses, community risk reduction, sprinkler plan review, structural collapse incident command operations, and wildland urban interface incident operations.
The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training staff will lead skills training sessions on forcible entry, hose handling and water map application, pumping station, and firefighter search and rescue.
Philomath Fire and Rescue currently has 11 firefighter-emergency medical services volunteers, five resident volunteers, eight EMS-only volunteers and six support volunteers. Philomath plans to send eight new recruits to the Oregon Public Safety Academy this spring.