- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lakeport Fire celebrates volunteer academy graduation
LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Friday the Lakeport Fire Protection District held a graduation ceremony for the five men and two women who completed its latest volunteer firefighter academy.
Graduates are Nathan Barnett, Solano Dominguez, Kia Kohler-Bibby, Isaac Maize, Wyatt Smith, Jesse Oberesser and Lani Bonson, according to Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison.
The academy, which was free to the participants, was held on weekends over the course of five weeks, Hutchison said.
Hutchison said the academy prepares those who complete it to become probationary volunteer firefighters.
It drills down to the firefighting basics, Hutchison said, with particular emphasis on personal protective equipment, pulling hose, stretching hose lines, securing water supplies, conducting search and rescue operations in structures, wildland firefighting and vehicle crash extrication.
Hutchison said the agency has done such academies in the past, and generally waits until it has a group of volunteers before scheduling them.
With the addition of this new group of seven volunteers, Hutchison said the department now has 22 volunteers, adding that not all of them are active.
Volunteers are important to the small fire agencies around the lake. In Lakeport’s case, they augment personnel including nine full-time line staff, Hutchison and administrative assistant Linda Buckner, one limited term staffer, four part-time firefighters who cover shifts, one part-time paramedic and five-part emergency medical technicians, according to Hutchison.
At times the staff is stretched thin enough that Hutchison said he and Buckner will take out the district’s third ambulance and run calls.
In order to become part-time or full-time paid firefighters, Hutchinson said the academy graduates would have to go to a state-sanctioned firefighter academy such as are available at Santa Rosa Junior College or Butte College in Chico and receive their firefighter 1 certification, which is the minimum entry level requirement for paid staff.
Those interested in volunteering can download an application from the Lakeport Fire Web site at http://www.lakeportfire.com/jobs.asp or drop by the main station at 445 N. Main St., and talk to staff.
Hutchison said prospective volunteers also are invited to visit during the weekly trainings, which take place at 6 p.m. Tuesdays at the main station.
For more information call Lakeport Fire at 707-263-4396.
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