Education effort benefits local and state firefighters

Firefighting is constantly changing and Poplar Bluff firefighters strive to stay up-to-date in training. Constant education is important to local crews and their chief, according to members of the department.

The Winter Fire School classes in Columbia challenged firefighters to become better in every aspect of their jobs, local firefighters agree.

Seven Poplar Bluff firefighters attended the sessions Feb. 2-4 at the Missouri University Fire and Rescue Training Institute, along with firefighters from across Missouri and the nation.

The local city firefighters are Capt. Brad Jones, Lt. Josh Robison, firefighter Mike Somers, Lt. Travis Taylor, firefighter Tyler Daggett, Lt. Josh Buhler and retired Poplar Bluff city firefighter Dean Gholson, who is an instructor at Three Rivers College and a volunteer firefighter for the Butler County Fire Protection District. Gholson was a city firefighter from 1995 through 2015.

“We are fortunate that MU has this fire training program open to fire departments across the country,” said Poplar Bluff Fire Chief Mike Moffitt. “I try to send six men to this training annually. I feel it is important to constantly be training. I’ve been in the fire service for going on 28 years now and things are constantly changing.

“Fifty years ago, you had around 20 minutes to escape from a house fire. Today, that time is around 5 minutes due to the materials our homes and furnishings are constructed of. If we don’t have a good understanding of all the changes, it can make our job more difficult and more dangerous.”

Jones thanked the city and Moffitt for the opportunity.

“(We learned) new ways to protect and serve the community,” he said. “The classes were delivered by some of the best minds in the fire service. The classes challenged us all to become better in every aspect of our job.”

Robison said he enjoyed his time at Winter Fire School, and the opportunity to learn from industry leaders in classes such as fire ground tactics, and developing future leaders in the fire service.

“The training underscored how company officers lead and prioritize crew well-being, as well as fostering community service, operational readiness, and interdepartmental collaboration for effective firefighting,” Somers explained.

Firefighters are always learning, Taylor said, “Because fire and construction materials are always changing, it’s good to expand our knowledge of fire tactics.”

The training helps challenge the thought process when it comes to mitigating emergencies, Daggett said.

It was also important to see new and innovative equipment available to fire services, Buhler said.

“The classes were great as well, and I can take what I have learned and apply it to my current position and response area for our department,” he said. “I appreciate this opportunity and look forward to attending again in the future.”

Gholson attended this year’s school to obtain the continuing education units for recertification of his Instructor II. Classes included “Building a Master Firefighter Program,” which could be used by departments as a way to establish an effective officer development program.

Another talked about emergency response to hybrid vehicles.

“(It) taught about recognizing incidents involving electric and hybrid vehicles of all sizes are becoming more numerous in the field, including discussions on myths versus facts in those incidents,” Gholson said.

The event also offered a chance to meet with other firefighters from across the state and country, he added.