16th ANNUAL REGIONAL FIRE SCHOOL & EMS CONFERENCE
PLANNED AT IOWA LAKES

The Iowa Lakes Regional Fire School and EMS Conference sponsored by Iowa Lakes Community College in conjunction with the Iowa Lakes Advisory Board and Palo Alto County Health System Ambulance, will be held Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, April 4, 5 and 6, at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg.

The college is expecting 200 people Saturday and Sunday including students, instructors, staff and vendors.

2008 two-day classes include Essentials of Firefighting: The Basics which veteran instructor John Ballou instructs with the help of several assistants; Hazardous Materials Operations; and Rope Rescue which will utilize the new Regional Emergency Response Training Center. Rope Rescue will also meet on Friday evening to give students a 16-hour certification for Rope Rescue Level 1.

One-day classes students can attend are the “new” First Response to Explosive Incidents instructed by state fire marshal personnel; Rapid Intervention Teams which puts firefighters through vigorous hands-on training; Vehicle Extrication Basics; the Fire Service Training Bureau’s Interior Fire Attack Trailer (Ground); Hazardous Materials Refresher and the popular Railroad Emergencies: General Guide to Tank Cars.

Denny Hansen is back presenting a new version of The Three Rs of Size Up: Reading the Smoke, the Building and the Risk.

Jerry Eslick, PRI, is presenting Ethanol Emergencies for First Responders identifying common hazardous substances found in ethanol plants which runs Saturday and will also present to a large number of students New Technologies in Extrication: Air Bags and Passive Restraints on Sunday.

Students can also fill up their day with Partial Day classes including Railroading 101 and the “new” Railroad Ethanol Emergencies put on by Union Pacific.

The college will also host a “sneak peek” open house for the new Regional Emergency Response Training Center Saturday, April 5 from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. The ceremony will begin in the Cafeteria/Student Center. This training center will provide a facility for firefighters, emergency medical personnel, law enforcement and industry to train their personnel.

It is the mission of 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 area community residents.

The Iowa Lakes Regional Fire School Advisory Board, which meets regularly planning the two-day event, consists of volunteer firefighters from Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth and Palo Alto; Sheryl Darling of Palo Alto County Health System Ambulance; Russ Grossman of the Fire Service Training Bureau, Ames; Steve Dobbins, Berni Wise and Pat Breuer, Iowa Lakes Community College, and strives to bring new classes and instructors to the area to meet the needs of local first responders.

Any first responder interested in taking advantage of these continuing education opportunities or vendors interested in displaying exhibits should call Iowa Lakes Community College, (800) 242-5108, Extension 5242.