Training Firefighters to Meet the Need

By Alexandria Avalos

Wildfires burned nearly 38,000 acres in Palisades and Eaton in Los Angeles County in January taking 29 lives, and 17,200 structures. It was one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history. Fire preparation is taking center-stage. College of Southern Nevada helps to meet the need.

Nevada also saw major fires in recent years. In 2018, the Research Division’s report on wildfires in Nevada revealed a staggering 1 million acres were consumed by flames that year alone.

Clark County Fire Department launched a nationwide recruitment campaign to find qualified firefighter and paramedic candidates. As Nevada’s largest fire department, it aims to fill 200 positions to meet the rising demands of the community and also when crises hit in nearby states.

“Valley-wide, there is a shortage of specifically paramedics but also firefighters,” said Greg Wesley, firefighter at Station Nine Las Vegas Fire Department. “I’d say there’s always going to be a need for them.”

Dedicated fire-service professionals share their knowledge and experiences from their careers to benefit the students in CSN’s Fire Technology Science program.

“The program will challenge their current thinking and focus their understanding on community-risk reduction and disaster mitigation, which will leave them better prepared for real-world scenarios,” said Bob Horton, retired fire chief and instructor of Analytical Approaches to Fire Protection at CSN.

“The fire service of today requires an all hazard, multi-role firefighter with the knowledge, skills and abilities to mitigate any type of emergency they may face throughout their career,” said Eric Littmann, instructor in CSN’s FT courses.

Thomas Miramontes, a retired senior deputy fire chief who taught CSN FT courses, said,

“Fire departments exist to serve the community at their time of need.”

“You really enter into people’s lives,” Miramontes said. “You don’t even know their names and here you are, you step into their lives at critical moments for them.”

The frequency and intensity of natural disasters are escalating. The demand for emergency-service personnel is more urgent than ever. As seen in Los Angeles recently and in our own Spring Mountains in years past, fire preparedness is important and CSN’s program is helping.