The Poplarville Fire Department is conducting the Mississippi Certified Volunteer Firefighter training program.
The program is not required by the state, however course coordinator and lead instructor Justin Miller said it is highly recommended for the safety of volunteer firefighters.
Level one of the course was completed last year. This level typically takes about three months to complete. During this time, volunteer firefighters start by learning the basics, which includes the history of the fire service and how a water nozzle operates.
The course also entails learning how to operate tools on a fire truck, how to use a breathing apparatus, how to rescue others from a burning building and how to properly ventilate a building during a fire.
“It follows a crawl, walk, run pattern,” said Miller.
After level one was completed, volunteer firefighters took courses on driving a fire truck. The courses lasted a couple of months, and then the firefighters conducted training with HAZMAT suits, said Miller.
Level two of the course began in February. This level also takes about three months to complete.
Only about 25 percent of this level is spent in the classroom. The majority of level two consists of drills and hands on training, said Miller.
The training in this course includes learning how to fight fires in different types of buildings, in homes and in vehicles.
Firefighters also learn how to operate a fire hose, how to search a burning building for victims and how to get a victim down a ladder, said Miller.
According to Miller, there are eight new volunteer firefighters enrolled in the program including six from Pearl River County and two from Hancock County.
This course is optional for full-time firefighters, who are sent to Jackson for six or seven weeks to receive their training.