EVENT TRAINS AREA FIREFIGHTERS AND EMS PERSONNEL

Organizers of a recent conference in Emmetsburg reported a ‘successful’ event thanks in part to many volunteers and donors.

The 15th Annual Iowa Lakes Regional Fire School and EMS Conference provided excellent training to more than 165 people from all over the state.

"Russ Grossman and Fire Service Training Bureau of Ames, have been a huge help to the fire school providing Volunteer Firefighter Funding, leadership and assistance with equipment and instructors," said Steve Dobbins, EMT Programmer. "The Advisory Board also consists of a great group of people generously giving their time and lending their departments’ equipment to help the school be successful."

Classes throughout the weekend included: Essentials of Firefighting; Hazardous Materials (Operations and Refresher); Emergency Vehicle Operator Course; a new popular class this year was First Response to Explosive Incidents by personnel from the State Fire Marshal’s Office; a rigorous Rapid Intervention and Fire Ground Training; Grain Bin Rescue sponsored by NECAS; the ever-popular Interior Fire Attack Trailer from the Fire Service was in Emmetsburg for the Ground and Ladder classes; Union Pacific generously hosted three well-received classes: Railroad Emergencies: A General Guide to Tank Cars; Railroading 101 and Railroad Safety for Ethanol and Soy Diesel Shipments. Three formal hour EMS classes held were: Geriatrics; START/JUMPSTART: A Race Against Time; and EMS Documentation Do’s and Don’ts. All of these classes assist the first responders in this region to respond to disasters and emergencies in their communities.

A breakfast was held Saturday morning where the instructors could meet the liaisons for their class who assist the instructors and the college. John Donnelly of the Fire Service Training Bureau, Ames, was the recipient of a retirement award from the Iowa Lakes Advisory Board. John has been a veteran instructor for the school and has worked closely with Iowa Lakes’ personnel to help the school run smoothly throughout the last several years. Some of the classes he has instructed are Essentials, Beyond Essentials and Interior Fire Attack. John will retire in April after several years of service. Dr. Harold Prior, President of Iowa Lakes Community College, Steve Dobbins, Fire and EMS Programmer and Pat Breuer, Assistant, also greeted and thanked the attendees during the Welcoming Ceremony. A PowerPoint presentation entitled, "Everyone Goes Home" was also part of the Welcome.

New classes are already being planned for next year’s school. The Advisory Board will meet again in May to wrap up the 2007 school and begin plans for 2008.

The Iowa Lakes Regional Fire School Advisory Board, which meets at least eight times a year planning the two-day event, consists of volunteer firemen from Clay, Emmet, Dickinson, Kossuth and Palo Alto counties. In addition, Sheryl Darling of Palo Alto County Health Systems EMS; and Russ Grossman from the Fire Service Training Bureau, Ames; join Steve Dobbins and Pat Breuer of Iowa Lakes Community College, to bring new classes and instructors to the area to meet the needs of local first responders.

It is the mission of the Iowa Lakes Regional Fire School and EMS Conference to provide firefighters, EMS and law enforcement personnel with local and economical training and quality education necessary to protect and ensure the health and safety of our area community residents.

Firefighters work with an elevated ladder
as they are trained at the Fire School.

Firefighters prepare to enter the portable fire/smoke truck
to learn what it’s like to enter a burning building.

Firefighters learned the best way to deal with a grain bin fire.