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| Firefighter
Training Needs & Training Goals |
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As previously reported, firefighter training
issues had reached a crisis point in Oklahoma
with the advent
of the new century. This most critical matter
was brought before the Oklahoma Fire Council
by multiple concerned parties. Earlier, severe economic hardship forced State Government to make drastic budget cutbacks,
including
state funding for training for firefighters.
Unfortunately as the economy re-bounded, the
funding
was not restored for many years.
Then with
everyone working together last year, more awareness
of the need for ALL-Hazards training at the
Capitol led to some additional funding. Due to
the desperate
need among volunteer departments, all of this
new money was earmarked for no-cost basic
training
for volunteer firefighters.
Until the creation of the Council On Firefighter
Training, no entity was assigned the specific
responsibility
of identifying firefighter training needs for
the state. It is crucial this assessment be
done.
COFT takes
its legislated responsibilities very seriously.
Identifying the training needs statewide is a
formidable task. Without initial funding itself,
COFT started with preliminary discussions with
the leaders of the Oklahoma
fire service. Work continued in more detail upon
receiving state funding.
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Volunteer Firefighter
Training Needs |
Career Firefighter
Training Needs |
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Volunteer departments whose members respond to emergencies in
the largest portion of the state face
incredible training challenges due to
severe under-funding. Realizing
the pressing needs that existed with the
volunteer departments, this was the area
of focus with the first state funding
for COFT in 2006.
The
more
about
link summarizes the progress of the
ongoing work which has been done in 2007
on the many volunteer firefighting
training needs.
All the original findings of
the 2006 Identification of Volunteer
Firefighter Needs which were examined
are presented. |
Approximately 45 fire departments in
Oklahoma rely primarily on staffing by
career firefighters. These fire
departments serve the more heavily
populated areas of the state. They
respond to a high number of emergencies
every year including a wide variety of
types of ALL-Hazards incidents.
The more
about link
presents the 2007 Training Task Force on
Career Firefighter Training Needs. This is accompanied by
their top recommendations for career
firefighter training needs.
A detailed discussion
of the objectives/needs/issues for
career firefighter training and results from
a preliminary survey on career
firefighter training needs is included.
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There are many
serious challenges with regard to
training in Oklahoma. As in all of its
endeavors, COFT works to simultaneously
balance the short-term and long-range
aspects of the issues on ALL-Hazards
firefighter training needs. It has
become painfully clear that the lack of
steady funding seriously impacts
everything. Therefore, COFT is
establishing a work group to address
possible funding mechanisms.
At the same time,
COFT is working with all the
stakeholders
to set priorities and move
ahead, step by step. |
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| Copyright©
2007 All Rights Reserved |
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