Discrepancies in firefighting training requirements
Reference is made to Charles R. Jennings` Letter to the Editor in the January 1999 issue.
I partially agree with him as he observes, “Together, they [regulations, such as those by OSHA, that require training and safety procedures for fire service personnel] are an ill-planned and uncoordinated group of programs thrust on a beleaguered local government agency already struggling to provide services.” This adds to a major problem area I have noticed: a reduction in training for our primary mission, extinguishing fire.
Consider the following observations I have made about the American fire service:
1. Firefighters are required to recertify emergency medical training and education every few years, but they do not have to recertify their firefighting skills.
2. Many jurisdictions do not require any of their firefighters to be trained and certified to national professional training and education standards but require these same people to be nationally certified to EMS standards.
3. A career firefighter must be trained and certified to national professional training and education standards, but volunteer firefighters do not.
Even if the percentage of our emergency calls for fires were to drop to only one percent, we still must be prepared, equipped, and trained to provide the best service possible when we respond to that call from one of our customers. Initial training and in-service training become even more important as our job experience continues to decline.
Chuck Smeby
Ocala, Florida
e-mail: csmeby@www.fsfc.ufl.gif>du
