Marla Jones, Managing Editor
RAINSVILLE, Ala.-- In 2017, the Rainsville Fire Department in collaboration with DeKalb County Schools, Alabama Fire College, Northeast Alabama Community College, and the Rainsville City Council, began offering career tech classes for students that were interested in the field of emergency response and fire services.
To instruct the class, Rainsville Fire Chief Willimac Wright and Instructor Jason Brannan were required to obtain the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree. In order to be considered as an instructor, you must have a teaching certificate, been a firefighter for over seven years, and obtain the Instructor-1 Certification.
In the first year of the program, over twelve students were enrolled. During the second and third years, the COVID pandemic crippled the nation. Not wanting the training that the students had received pre covid to be lost, the school was moved to Saturday at the DeKalb Fire Explorers class. This school year, eight enrolled in the program. Overall, over 40 students have completed the program.
The program offers first aid certification, Public Safety Telecommunicator training, and Emergency Management Responder certifications.
The Alabama Fire College provides nine total props and other special rescue trailers for training, including the mobile burn unit and the closed confinement unit. The program has expanded to help with additional training for Criminal Justice students.
Through a Perkins Grant and the help of legislators, the Rainsville Fire Department has been able to obtain CAD, or 911 training system for the course. One graduate of the course went on to work at the DeKalb County 911 center.
The program consists of 160 hours of classroom and hands-on training. After completion of the fire school, students are Certified Volunteer Firefighters in the State of Alabama. A few states will accept the certification as a professional firefighter. Students who attend the fire school can have their professional training cut into half, or five weeks, to become professional firefighters.
The Mobile Burn Unit is onsite at the Rainsville Fire Department, and students are participating in putting out fires this week. Assistant Chief Brannan stresses to the students the importance of “starring down the dragon” when dealing with a fire.
Students who are interested in the field of firefighting should talk to their school’s guidance counselor regarding enrolling in the program.
