Training within the Department is mainly done at the company level. Each captain assigns a minimum of three hours per month to the members of his company. The captain takes direction for the training from the Department Training Officer and from the Chief of the Department.
Training can be classroom instruction with visual aids, lectures or hands-on training with actual simulations of specific scenarios. For example, a captain may indicate that he wants to train the shift in the evolutions and steps that are taken at a house fire. Here the company will don their protective clothing (turnout gear), board the engines and go through a mock drill and flow water on a simulated burning building. He may call for a ladder truck and use the ladder to simulate the process for ventilation. All equipment that may be used in the typical house fire may be used.
Other training can utilize special equipment such as the boat or the ice water rescue equipment, the Jaws of Life, roof ventilation equipment or specific fire suppression equipment. EMS recertification is typically done within the department. Each member has been trained and certified to operate special equipment such as the semi-automatic defibrillator. Each member of the Department is required to recertify every two years as an EMT.
Below are pictures from a recent training at Friendly Ice Cream Corporation during a confined space rescue class sponsored by Friendly Ice Cream (FIC).
Below, members of the Wilbraham Police/Fire Dive Team train using the Department's new rescue boat
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