Firefighter Training
is a top priority
in Oklahoma!!

Read more........
 

     This spring, COFT has been busy on many different fronts.  With the Legislature in session, we have been working hard along with many others to emphasize the importance of firefighter training at the State Capitol.  With everyone working together, the Oklahoma fire service has been successful in getting more funding for firefighter training.  

After many years at the same level, OSU-Fire Service Training received an additional $1 million which is specifically earmarked for volunteer firefighter training.  These funds will flow through the State Fire Marshal’s Office.  In addition, the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Training has been allocated an additional $400,000 above previous levels, which is also aimed at volunteer firefighter training. 

These new funds should make a great deal of no-cost training available to the state’s volunteer firefighters, a need that was emphasized in Training Task Force, created by COFT.  The task force report and its recommendations were widely circulated at the Capitol, and we spent lots of time and energy emphasizing their importance.  With the combined efforts of the other organizations in the Oklahoma fire service, it was possible to make  a significant difference in the amount of funding for firefighter training.  Considering how few state entities received increases in funding this session, this was no small accomplishment.

     In addition, COFT and its workers were heavily involved in all the activities associated with Representative Dorman and his proposed legislation.  This landmark legislation will include the creation of an official state task force on incident management.  Included as a part of this bill, there will be a report along with some recommendations on site management, plus training to get the word out into departments across the state.

     COFT was able to secure some funding for itself again this year.  We continue to operate on a very limited budget and are not yet able to have regular employees.  One of the new programs proposed to State Treasurer Scott Meacham and the leadership at the Legislature was to have some Regional Training Advisors who would be “out and about” across the state.  We will be able to start with this program during the upcoming fiscal year, so that we can make more visits to departments.  In this way, we will be able to be there to share information about firefighter training that is available and to explain the various incentive programs for firefighter training.  In addition, COFT’s Training Task Force will continue its work on officially identifying firefighter training needs as set forth in the statutes.

     Of course, COFT has been very busy with the tax season. 
This time, there were several programs in progress and now we have even more:

n  2005 tax incentive program for volunteer firefighters for $200 for first-time participants (still available)

n  2006 tax incentive program for volunteer firefighters for $200 for first-time participants (still available)

n  2006 tax incentive program for volunteer firefighters for $200 for repeat participants (still available)

n  2006 tax incentive program for volunteer firefighters for $400 for repeat participants
who finished their VFFP or FFI and took an extra training category (still available)

n  2007 tax incentive program for volunteer firefighters for $200 for first-time participants

n  2007 tax incentive program for volunteer firefighters for $200 for repeat participants  

n  2007 tax incentive program for volunteer firefighters for $400 for repeat participant
who will have finished their VFFP or FFI and take an extra training category  

Each program has its own specific forms and regulations that apply.  We will be posting all of these on our website and be working with the Oklahoma Tax Commission on the new 2007 forms.  In the meantime, there is a 2007 work sheet available for volunteer firefighters to keep track of their eligible training. 

For Chiefs and training officers, ALL of the training previously eligible for 2006 continues with the addition of a few new ones. These include the course on Vehicle Extrication, the county course of fund management, and the fact that any course taken by a volunteer firefighter through the National Fire Academy will be reviewed and assigned equivalency on a case-by-case basis.