South Central College Regional Fire School

The annual training is hosted by
South Central College in North Mankato.

Kudos to Bob Scheidt and the staff at South Central College in North Mankato for another successful regional fire school last weekend. The school was bustling as 683 firefighters—representing 150 departments from four states—spent all of Saturday and half of Sunday learning and improving their skills and decision-making. This year’s school offered 50 classes in 4-, 8-, and 12-hour blocks. We thank Bob and his staff for once again inviting the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT) to be a part of it.

The school has an incredible energy about it. It is classroom after classroom full of firefighters, listening to instructors, discussing issues, and learning about leadership. The hallways are busy with firefighters in turn-out gear heading to the parking lots for their practical exercises like auto extrication, or bus and heavy truck rescues. Other groups are boarding the school buses that shuttle them off campus for a live burn of a house or ice rescue training.

Once again this year, LMCIT staff member Chris Smith presented the class “Fire Department Management and Liability.” A few of the topics covered were: joint powers agreements, contracting for service, fundraisers, relief associations, alcohol response policies, and a look at firefighter injuries. There was plenty of discussion—particularly on election vs. selection of firefighters and command staff. This type of forum opens up an exchange of information between the firefighters, as well as with the instructors.

St. Peter Fire Chief (and incident commander)
Ron Quade briefs the class.

We thank Plymouth Fire Chief Rick Kline for being the lead instructor for the *Training Safety Officer (TSO) program. That group spent the morning in the classroom learning the elements of the TSO program, getting a briefing from one of the live burn instructors, and working on risk assessments of training lesson plans. Then it was off to lunch and onto the bus for a trip out to the burn site to meet up with the burn team and their students. I was lucky enough to assist in this training.

We thank Bob and his staff coordinating and hosting this wonderful annual event.

*TSO Training
Chief Kline is also the chairman of the safety and health committee for the Minnesota State Fire Chief’s Association. That committee has made the Training Safety Officer program a priority for the coming year. If you would like a TSO class in your region, contact Chief Kline at rkline@plymouthmn.gov (There is no charge for the training.)

Remember:

                                    Responder Safety = Public Safety



Up next... Safety and Loss Control Workshop on Vandalism in City Parks

In the meantime, stay safe and be careful.



Rob