Firefighters complete training

Recently a group of Epworth firefighters took on the challenge of certifying to the level of Firefighter 2. This course is certified by the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau.

The Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau certification system has been accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress to certify fire service personnel to accepted national standards. Through this process, Iowa fire service personnel achieve international certification.

The assurances gained through the accreditation process provide credibility and prestige for every firefighter participating in the certification process. Firefighters certified through the Iowa system are recognized throughout the United States (and the world) as qualified and meeting the standards set forth by the National Fire Protection Association.

Our instructor for the Firefighter 2 class was Epworth firefighter and Iowa Fire Service certified instructor Al Esch.

Epworth firefighters Al Reuter, Chris Reuter, Dale Hefel, Dale Snyder, Todd Kluesner, Andy Sprengelemeyer, Shannon Kramer, Dan Ernzen and Gary Wilgenbusch survived a long winter, not to mention a near record amount of snowfall for the area. The class started November 6th and concluded just before Christmas. We attended over 32 hours of classroom lectures. Some of the topics covered in class were vehicle extrication, special rescue, construction materials and building collapse, foam fire streams, ignitable liquids and flammable gasses. This classroom time was in addition to our regular commitment to meetings and training for the department. On top of that, we were required to do a fire preplan and safety inspection for a local business and hone our firefighting skills.

In February we took our state certification examinations, and we were excited when we got back the positive results.

Congratulations to everyone on a job well done!