Brady Parsons, of Bristol (left), and Nick Meiggs, of Nobleboro, try on firefighting gear during a basic fire class on Monday, March 2. The class is run by the Lincoln County Fire Association and is designed to meet minimum standards for interior firefighter certification. (Courtesy photo)
A record number of participants from across Lincoln and Knox counties are working toward achieving basic fire certification through the Lincoln County Fire Academy’s basic fire course.
This year, 35 students from Whitefield, Nobleboro, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Westport Island, Waldoboro, Newcastle, Damariscotta, Bristol, South Bristol, and Warren.
According to Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer, who is running this year’s class, this is the largest group of students the academy has welcomed to date.
“Generally, we try to keep it to around 24 students and all of our previous classes have been full up to that number,” Smeltzer said. “This time around, we had plenty of help with instructors, and we just didn’t want to turn anyone away. So we’re trying with the larger class size, and so far, it’s been working out fine.”
According to Smeltzer, the course is designed to meet minimum standards set by the Maine Fire Institute and the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics for interior firefighter certification.
“Basic Fire School is one of my favorite classes to teach, and the basic reason for that is in the name: its basic fire skills,” Smeltzer said. “Everything we teach in basic fire school are skills that every firefighter would use on a regular basis.”
Unlike the more comprehensive Firefighter I and II courses, which are nationally certified, Basic Fire School focuses on foundational skills firefighters use regularly, particularly in rural departments, Smeltzer said.
“For small, rural departments, like here in Lincoln County, there’s a lot of information and stuff that they just wouldn’t have the opportunity to use,” Smeltzer said.
The class has been offered for several years through the Lincoln County Fire Association, with sessions scheduled based on demand. While the academy typically aims to run one course annually, increased need has led to multiple sessions in recent years, Smeltzer said.
Students of the Lincoln County Fire Academys basic fire class try on fire gear on Monday, March 2. The class provides instruction in essential firefighting techniques, including ladder use, hose operations, nozzle handling, and fire extinguisher application. (Courtesy photo)
Students in the program are trained in essential firefighting techniques, including ladder use, hose operations, nozzle handling, and fire extinguisher application. The course also includes instruction on scene preservation from the state fire marshal, communication systems, and the National Incident Management System.
Instead of staying in one classroom, Smeltzer said students in the class travel to different fire stations throughout Lincoln County.
“We move around to different stations within the county, and it gives these students an opportunity to visit all their mutual aid departments and see their equipment and get to know some of the folks from within those hosting departments,” Smeltzer said.
In addition, firefighters from across the county take turns teaching different portions of the class at the various stations, including some graduates of recent classes.
“We were able to host a state certification of fire instructor course in Waldoboro last year, and we had many students from Lincoln County in that class, and some of those graduates from that course are assisting as well,” Smeltzer said. “We have a large cadre of instructors within the county, and we’re trying to use most of them.”
According to Nobleboro Fire Chief Aaron Bradbury, this year’s class also includes a large portion of junior firefighters.
Bradbury said the junior firefighters will be able to obtain their basic fire certification prior to turning 18, but will not be able to perform interior firefighting duties until then.
Smeltzer said the student’s reaction to the class has been very positive and hopes that the students will achieve the interior firefighter certification upon completion of the course in June.
