North Jefferson News, Gardendale, AL

Local News

Related Photos

  • Fultondale Fire Department members who attended National Fire Academy training are, from left, Capt. Don Salter, Lt. Josh Bryant, Chief Larry Holcomb and Lt. Eric Ingram. Special to the North Jefferson News

    ffd training.jpg

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
April 26, 2010

Firefighters receive national training

By Melanie Patterson The North Jefferson News

FULTONDALE — Local firefighters have received training at the national level that will benefit their own department back home.

Four members of the Fultondale Fire Department recently attended a course at the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md.

Capt. Don Salter, Lt. Josh Bryant, Chief Larry Holcomb and Lt. Eric Ingram all attended the Strategy and Tactics for Initial Company Operation (STICO) class April 16-18.

According to Bryant, the overall purpose of the training was to teach uniform strategies and tactics that will allow emergency personnel to work together during large-scale emergencies such as 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina.

“We gained an understanding of how we as emergency responders fit in the big picture,” Bryant said. He added that the tactics are ones his department has always used, but now department members are more aware of the importance of such things as chain of command and protocol.

“It’s not new to anybody,” Bryant said. “But now we’re taking a more strategic approach to everything we do, regardless of scale.”

Salter said the training has benefitted him personally as well as in his career as a firefighter at the Birmingham Airport and as a military firefighter with the U.S. Air Force.

He said there were firefighters at the training who were at every level of responsibility. There were also personnel from metro departments to small rural departments.

“Even though there were so many differences, we all came up with the same solutions” on training scenarios,” Salter said. He and Bryant both said they were pleased to learn that firefighters at every level all deal with the same types of issues.

Holcomb said he was glad to see firefighters in his department take the initiative to train at every level.

“Everybody from the chief to the firefighter is continually training,” he said.

Bryant said the department will try to send different firefighters to the training every year.

The Alabama Fire College provided funding for the training, lodging and food, while the city of Fultondale provided funds for travel.

 

Text Only
Local News