Downingtown Fire Dept. volunteers Marina Simmers and Tamiya Wilfong of Alert No. 1 and Jeremy Jennings of Minquas Fire Co. No. 2 have completed the National Firefighter I training and were recognized at a graduation ceremony Wednesday night at the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus in South Coatesville.
Our three volunteers completed the Firefighter I course, which is comprised of 188 hours of classroom and hands-on training in the foundations of firefighting and emergency response. In addition to learning new firefighting skills in handling hose lines and ladders, students in the training classes learn the use of wearing SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) and how to conduct interior firefighting. Students also received instruction in First Aid and CPR, plus several other topics including, hazardous materials and blood-born pathogens.
Completing the National Firefighter I Certification is recognized training that is the first step to fully qualify our Downingtown Fire Dept. firefighters for interior firefighting work and they will now be issued a black interior firefighter front for their fire helmet. Marina, Tamiya and Jeremy were presented their certificates at the graduation ceremonies at the training campus where the graduation ceremony took place. At the event, remarks were heard from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Acting State Fire Commissioner Charles McGarvey.
Congratulations to our three Firefighter I graduates and this is just the beginning of many more years of training!
