Attending the necessary courses often meant traveling to a larger city and taking time away from work and family. There were cost involved, too.

Now, the State Fire Marshal’s Office has developed an online training program that offers a number of necessary courses not only to firefighters but also to emergency medical service technicians.

The Ohio Fire Academy Online Training Service offers programs based on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) standards and materials, according to information from the fire marshal’s office. The cost is $20 per firefighter per year. The classes eliminate the need for travel, an important consideration given that volunteer firefighters often had to take time away from their paid jobs to get the necessary training.

“They can take them at home, at the fire station, anywhere there is a computer,” Rome Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steven Rutherford said. “This is a great tool for us.”

Rutherford pointed out some classes will still require travel and hands-on training that simply can’t be done on a computer. But for those classes that can be taught online, the firefighter or EMT saves time and money.

State Fire Marshal Larry Flowers said since the online program began three weeks ago, he has gotten positive feedback from departments across the state.

“We are always trying to find ways to keep (firefighters and EMTs) well-trained and yet keep from having this become a burden to them,” Flowers said. “This has been a long time coming. We are really excited about this.”

Fire Chief Mike Roberts and Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan announced Albright’s appointment to the position at Thursday’s City Council Executive Session.

Albright, 57, is a Clarksville native and the longest serving member of the fire department. He had been Chief of the Training Division for the past 15 years.

“I promise to work diligently to move the department forward,” he told Council members and those in attendance at the meeting.
Albright, who has been known by a nickname of “Buff” since childhood, began his career at the department in 1975 under Chief Finis Gray and Mayor Charles Crow. In 1985, he was promoted to lieutenant in the Training Division, and in 1988, he rose to the rank of captain of the division.  He became the training chief in 1996.

Albright was among the first group of Clarksville firefighters to become state-certified Journeyman Firefighters and Emergency Medical First Responders. He graduated from both the state and national Fire Academy and holds some of the highest certifications in CFR as a Hazardous Material Specialist and certified Fire Officer.

Both Albright and his wife of more than 30 years, Jenny, are third generation Clarksvillians. They have two children and are members of Madison Street United Methodist Church.

John Stanley retired June 30 as CFR’s Deputy Chief after 31 years of service.

The participants, 14 to 17 years old, have learned about everything from how a fire grows and to working with fire hoses.

Each day starts with physical exercise and ends with visits and dinner at fire stations throughout Franklin County.

The academy, held at the Franklin County Public Safety Training Center, 3075 Molly Pitcher Highway, Chambersburg, will conclude on Saturday with graduation.

What it’s like

The 26 cadets staying at the Franklin County Career and Technology Center are from all over Pennsylvania, according to Tim Ebersole, Junior Fire Academy administrator.

“They have to be a member of a fire department,” Ebersole explained.

“Lots of fire chiefs want them to go through this,” Ebersole said. “They get a little bit of everything.”

The cadets have learned about knots used, truck operations, emergency work regarding vehicle accidents and working with fire hoses.

“This will turn into a giant water battle,” Ebersole said of the fire hose lesson on a hot afternoon.

On Friday the cadets will visit the National Fire Academy, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the 911 Memorial, all in Emmitsburg.

The academy is looking for sponsors for the 2012 academy in order to provide the training as inexpensively as possible.

“We do have a fee, but we would like to see this become a free camp,” Ebersole said.

“We had a desk, phone and closet,” he recalled.

Over the next 30 years, the academy bounced around the state like a traveling circus. Home was Exchange Street in Providence, North Kingstown and, until Tuesday, the Cranston Street Armory Building in the West End of Providence.

On Wednesday morning, Chartier stood in the high-ceiling engine garage and addressed about 100 firefighters, police officers and politicians who were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the new Rhode Island State Fire Academy on the grounds of the former Ladd School in Exeter.

“This is a fantastic day for us,” Chartier said. “Today, starts a new beginning for fire service training in Rhode Island.”

The celebration was a long time coming. In 2002, state voters approved a $55-million bond to finance the construction of a new Rhode Island State Police headquarters and the new fire academy. The state police building opened in October 2010, but a series of delays pushed back the construction of the fire academy complex nine years.

Those delays included considering several different locations before settling on the Ladd School grounds. Once the site was selected, fire officials said, the state Department of Environmental Management placed the project on hold because it interfered with the mating season of a certain species of glide .

All of those delays were forgotten on Wednesday.

Governor Chafee was on hand and he certified the firefighters, public safety officials and politicians who brought the project to fruition.

“It’s a fantastic day and an exciting day for Rhode Island,” he said.

Col. Steven G. O’Donnell, superintendent of the state police and commissioner of the state Department of Public Safety, said the sprawling complex will afford firefighters the opportunity to train at a higher level with state of the art facilities and equipment.

“We waited a long time for this day,” he said, pointing out that voters overwhelmingly approved the bond, 67 percent, to finance the complex and state police headquarters.

The ceremony recognized the first phase of the project that cost $6.4 million. It includes a “burn” building for live fire training, a five-tale training tower and other props to help firefighters in learning how to combat fires. Iron Construction, of Warwick, was the general contractor.

The second phase is about to get under way and is expected to take 18 months to complete. Those plans include construction of an 8,500-square-foot classroom and office building that is being financed with $2.8 million from the state capital budget. The payments will be made over the course of the next two fiscal years.

Subsequent the ceremony, those attending witnessed the Warwick and Hope Valley fire departments douse fires on a training car and fuel tank on the new academy grounds.

In a keynote address by the Reviewing Officer, the Deputy Minister for Interior, Upright Kwabena Akyeampong, congratulated the commandants and instructors of the FATS for the efforts they have place in to make the recruits knowledgeable in the rudiments of fire fighting, fire safety and prevention and also highly praised the recruits for their hard work.
He told that the regime is fully aware of the crucial role the fire service is playing to enhance the socio-economic development of the country and in aid of that the regime is receiving a total of 227 fire fighting vehicles and equipments from Exim Bank U.S.A., Exim Bank India and a package from the Belgium regime . These vehicles and equipment have started arriving in the country.
According to the Minister, statics collated by GNFS on fire out breaks revealed that there was a saving in fire out-breaks by 314 from 2,858 outbreaks in 2009 to 2,544 in 2010. The Service has also attended to 420 cases of road traffic accidents; saving lot of lives through rescue operations with 960 experiencing injuries whiles 157 lost their lives. These achievements, he attributed to the intensified public education on fire prevention, road safety and engagement with the public.
Upright Akyeampong told people gathered at the ceremony that the GNFS is well appreciated when it comes to international assessment of road traffic accident rescue operations and it was progressively rated from level 5 in 2003 to level 3 in 2009 by the World Rescue Organization (WRO), U.K.
He extra that GNFS represented Ghana in South Wales, U.K. in 2008 and in the 2009 world cup challenge in Frankfort, Germany respectively in the World Rescue Challenges.
The Interior Minister assured GNFS that the regime is putting up measures to tackle challenges of personnel accommodation, improving effective conditions and other logistical support and consequently urged officers of GNFS to return regime ’s effort by effective hard to achieve set target.
Presenting awards to best recruit officers of the day, he cautioned all the recruits to be excellent ambassadors, project the image of GNFS and be loyal to the nation as a whole.
Concluding his address , he pleaded with GNFS to continue and intensify its education on fire safety and road safety prevention to minimize the lost of lives and properties to contribute to the better Ghana Agenda.

At 14, Burnham decided she wanted to become a firefighter in a major city like Chicago or Los Angeles.

The 5’4 teenager said her stepdad’s colleagues laughed when she told them her aspirations.

“I like to prove them wrong,” Burnham, of Edwardsburg, said.

She is one of 10 Cass County high school students in the Educational Talent Search (ETS) Fire Academy. The ETS is a grant program administered by Southwestern Michigan College.

Soaking wet, the students played a game of waterball with hoses Tuesday morning at the Dowagiac Fire Department as part of the weeklong academy.

Burnham has been participating in the academy since its inception three years ago. She will be attending SMC in the fall to study fire science.

“I want to help people,” Burnham said. “I can’t think of a better way.”

Later in the week, students will extinguish fires in two cars donated to the department.

“It’s a little bit scary at first being that close to a fire,” Burnham said. “It’s a nice way to get practice without somebody’s life being in danger.”

Like Burnham, more female students have enrolled in the academy than males, according to ETS Director Amy Anderson.

Although firefighting tends to be a male-dominated occupation, Anderson said, all but one of the students in this year’s academy are females.

“They are jumping at the chance to do it,” Anderson said.

And they are learning real-life firefighting services.

“It’s not a water-downed version,” Anderson said. “It’s the real deal.”

Anderson said students will be wearing full equipment when they extinguish the car fires.

“That’s an extra 30 pounds of weight these kids are going to be carrying,” Anderson said.

Capt. Mike Mattix, of the Dowagiac Fire Department, said the week is a recruitment tool for aspiring firefighters.

Mattix, the main instructor of the academy, said the career span of local firefighters averages about 5 years.