West Pierce Fire & Rescue announcement.
Recently, West Pierce Fire & Rescue (WPFR) held a three-day simulation lab for initial Blue Card certification. Six WPFR firefighters successfully completed the training and will now be certified. Blue Card is the communication model used by firefighters on emergency scenes. Several neighboring agencies also use it, which allows firefighters from various departments to work together and use common terminology. This also enhances overall scene safety.
Prior to the simulation lab, these firefighters completed 40 hours of online training that focuses on functions of the command system, which is used during incident response. The three-day (24 hours) lab consists of scenarios to learn the safest and most effective approaches to mitigate large-scale incidents. Understanding how to effectively communicate and quickly create a course of action, no matter the type of structure, is crucial to the safety of firefighters and the community.
In order for firefighters to keep their certification, they are required to complete 36 hours of continuing education over the next three years, which includes completing an eight-hour online course and a written test. WPFR is proud to have firefighters complete this type of training, but instruct it as well. This helps bring consistency to the training process and during incident response.
