More than 250 firefighters from 121 departments across Oregon are registered to attend Winter Fire School this weekend at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem. The two-day training event, taking place Saturday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb. 23, will include classroom learning sessions and hands-on training exercises that will improve firefighters’ ability to protect lives, property and natural resources in their communities.
The offerings will 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.
Hands-on training opportunities will include a vehicle extrication class led by the City of Dallas Fire & EMS Department. Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) staff will lead skills training sessions on forceable entry, hose handling and water map application, pumping station, and firefighter search and rescue.
Winter Fire School is an annual event offered free of charge by DPSST. It is held over the weekend to accommodate the schedules of the volunteers who comprise most of the Oregon fire service.
