County agrees to help with Firefighter Classic

Sept. 18--Pittsburg County commissioners have agreed to once more help with this year's Firefighter Classic, called Training Our Own, which is expected to bring firefighters to McAlester from around the state for special training sessions.

Haywood/Arpelar Fire Chief Randy Crone, who is also a retired District 3 county commissioner and a member of the Pittsburg County Firefighters Association, attended the commissioners' regular meeting recently and asked for the county's assistance during the three-day training event, set for Sept. 25-27.

Crone said up to 500 firefighters are expected to attend this year's Firefighter Classic. He also spoke of classes available for firefighters, including everything from radio operations to how to recognize a methamphetamine laboratory -- which could prove important for first responders such as firefighters.

"Being out on the road all the time, you could come upon a meth lab," Crone said, referring to mobile meth labs sometimes set up in vehicles.

Training sites include the Southeast Expo Center, the city's South Fire Station, the Kiamichi Technology Center and the swimming pool at the J.I Stipe Center.

"We're all over town," Crone said.

District 1 Commissioner Gene Rogers and District 3 Commissioner Ross Selman told Crone they would provide some assistance during the training. District 2 Commissioner Kevin Smith was not at the meeting.

Rogers said afterwards the commissioners help by providing trucks and other equipment to transport junked cars to locations designated as training sites. The junked cars are used for vehicle extrication training and other activities.

"We use our trucks to help move them out for training," Rogers said. "We try to help them if we can."

Selman and Rogers noted the impact on firefighter education and McAlester by having so many firefighters come to the city for the Training Classic.

"The thing they do is very good," Rogers said.

Both commissioners noted the economic impact on the area.

"It's a pretty good boost for our restaurants and hotels," said Selman.

Volunteer firefighters in Pittsburg County and around the state play a huge role, Rogers noted.

"Words can't describe how much they do for nothing; how much they're needed, how much they're appreciated," he said.

Crone encouraged all local and area fire departments whose members have not already signed up for the training to go ahead and do so. He said information on how to sign up is available from the Council of Firefighter Training, at www.coft-oklahoma.org.

Courses offered over the three days include:

--Basic professional radio communication skills

--Insurance Service Office review and fire suppression

--ISO hauled water skills and timings

--Meth labs and basic crime scene investigation

--Traffic incident management

--Rehab for wild land firefighting

--Gas production emergencies

--Emergency vehicle driving training

--Flashover

--Hazardous materials awareness

--Introduction to swift water rescue

--Introduction to wildland engine tactics

--Maintaining firefighting situational awareness

--RIT (Rapid Intervention Training) and air management

--Calling the Mayday

--Exterior offensive fire attack; structural fire size-up

--Introduction to wildland firing operations

--Advanced vehicle extrication

--Advanced incident command

--Rope rescue 1

--Vehicle extrication basics

--Wilderness search and rescue ops

--New fire chief 1

--Wildland incident management toolbox

--Water shuttle

--Rope rescue II

--Wildland firefighting fundamentals

--Wildland firefighting skills

--National Firefighters Association incident safety officer

--Wilderness rescue technician Level 1

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