The Hennessey Fire Station on Main St. was hopping on Saturday, January 4th as firefighters from around the area practiced working on their skills. Today was the continuation of the 98-hour training that started in November, which is required to receive the Firefighter One certification.
The final test includes a live burn at Autry Technology Center in Enid. The Oklahoma State Firefighters Association (OSFA) leads the class, and OSU Fire Safety Training will conduct the certification testing.
The 19 participating men are from Big 4, Cashion, Fairview, Hennessey, Oakcliff, Ringwood, Waukomis, Dover, Velma, and Omega Fire Departments.
The training was made possible by the Oklahoma State Firefighters Safer Grant. Everyone who passes the final exam will receive a new set of bunker gear valued at $5,000 each. Firefighter One is the first level of training for firefighters in Oklahoma that focuses on basic fire suppression, incident management, and rescue operations. It’s the minimum training level for paid firefighters and is also required for all firefighters to complete before moving on to the Advanced Firefighter Level. There are five levels of certifications for firefighters in Oklahoma. Photos by AAH Jack Quirk.
