Firefighters from around the area settled into the new fire station conference room last night, November 21st, for the beginning of an intense training and certification program. In order to be a firefighter in Oklahoma the first requirement is to obtain the Firefighter One (FF1) certification. This program includes attending classes every weekend for 4 weeks and takes about 98 hours of classroom and hands-on training. The final test includes a live burn at Autry Technology Center in Enid. The class is led by the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association (OSFA) and the certification testing will be done by OSU Fire Safety Training.
The 19 participating men are from Big 4, Cashion, Fairview, Hennessey, Oakcliff, Ringwood, Waukomis, Dover and Omega Fire Departments.
When Hennessey started building the new addition to the fire station the plan was to be able to host large training events like this one. This is the first FF1 training for the new facility. 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.
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