The previous regional fire schools were held this year in Lawton (Southwest Regional) and Tahlequah (Northeast Regional). Alva is the site for the Northwest Regional Fire School set for May 16-18. Fire School course offerings to the rural, volunteer constituency were selected for their relevance and expressed demand. Flammable Gas Emergencies, Wildland Firefighting, Pump Operations, Water Shuttle and Vehicle Extrication are among the most well attended.

Among interested observers at the Antlers Fire School was Oklahoma House Representative Jerry Ellis (District #1). “I thought the fire school was great. There were lots of interest shown, great participation and, from what I observed, a good use of tax payers’ money.” Since his election to the State House in 2002, Rep. Ellis has earned a notable track record of support for both education and rural fire departments.

A 1969 graduate of Oklahoma State University, Ellis observed that “OSU projected a very good image by being here in Antlers, and providing much needed instruction for our fire fighters.” Ellis envisions eventual economic benefits to households in his district. Sustained fire fighter training of this quality, he says, could affect a lowering of the district’s ISO rating, thereby reducing insurance rates for households.

Maintaining high quality and accessibility of fire training in Southeast Oklahoma is also an ambition of former Atoka fire chief, Donnie Allen. Also a 30-year veteran of the Oklahoma fire service, Allen now serves as Code Enforcement Officer for City of Atoka, and as regional training specialist for OFST.

“My phone has been ringing off the wall!” says Allen referring to his liaison work for OFST, and his promotional efforts for the regional fire school. Communication with the fire departments, discerning training needs, and extending training opportunities to the rural fire fighters comprise the majority of his service with OSU.

“Just seeing the want in their eyes is enough to inspire me,” says Allen, who regularly makes personal visits to small departments in his region. Among the duties of OSU’s regional training specialists, he attends rural fire coordinator and fire chief association meetings, discusses new OSU training opportunities with local fire chiefs--and yes, also answers phone calls from an inquiring public.

Allen, who was fire chief for 17 of his 30 years of fire service concludes that “today in 2008, we have better trained fire fighters in Oklahoma than we’ve ever had—thanks to OSU. We are delivering good quality training out there these days, and the public appreciates it.”

Allen says that many of the rural and volunteer fire fighters in his region has expressed fervent desire for more advanced training, particularly in the areas of structural fire fighting, pump operations and tanker water shuttle.

It appears that next year’s fire school agenda is taking shape.