We at the Vista Fire Department would like to congratulate Probationary Firefighter Patrick Healy on completing the New York State Firefighter I and Firefighter Survival program at the Westchester County Fire Training Center in Valhalla, New York!

Probationary Firefighter Healy completed the 152 hour course spanning the last 4 months out of the Katonah Training Division and is now certified as an Interior Firefighter. Firefighter I is the first course that all our members who join as a Volunteer Firefighter attend as it trains them to have the necessary fundamental tools to become an Interior Firefighter.

Firefighter I is broken down into several courses by the Westchester County Fire Training center:

“Course #1: Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations with HMFRO: This course prepares new firefighters to operate in the exterior or non-IDLH areas of the fire scene. Students participate in learning events covering firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE), self-contained breathing apparatus inspection and cylinder changing, fire department communications, building construction and fire behavior, modern fire control research, portable fire extinguishers, rope and knot tying, ground ladders, forcible entry, tactical ventilation theory, water supply, hose and fire streams, loss control, orientation to fire origin and cause determination, fire prevention and life safety initiatives, confined space awareness, overview of first aid and buddy care, and Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations.

Course #2: SCBA/Interior Firefighting Operations: This course prepares new BEFO graduates to operate as Interior Structural firefighters or in IDLH areas of the fire scene. Students participate in learning events covering firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE), selfcontained breathing apparatus donning, doffing and use, SCBA air management and SCBA emergencies, basic firefighter survival techniques, modern fire control methods, building fire search and victim removal techniques, firefighter survival skills, tactical ventilation techniques and basic power saw operation, forcible entry techniques, hose line advancement, vehicle and wildland firefighting theory, vehicle firefighting techniques, coordinated structure fire interior attack and transitional fire attack, and coordinated initial company operations.

Firefighter Survival: Based on Chief John Salka’s “Get Out Alive” program, this program is designed for self-rescue and rescue of trapped firefighters. Course content will enable firefighters to recognize the types of events encountered on the fire ground that contribute to firefighter disorientation and/or entrapment, to have knowledge of what is necessary to ensure their safety and that of their partners or crew members, and perform self-rescue techniques when disoriented, separated, or when needing to exit a structure in an emergency. This course requires students to perform a number of practical evolutions with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). This course includes the National Fire Academy Calling the Mayday."