(Arnolds Park)– State Fire Marshal James Kenkel says he has proposed minimum training standards for Iowa firefighters. If adopted, the standards would become administrative rules of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
The rules would require that firefighters undergo a basic course of training before fighting structure fires or fires in hazardous situations.
Randy Novak, Chief of the Fire Service Training Bureau, says few states have mandatory training standards. But he says several others, including Iowa, have recommended standards.
He says there is a concern that many departments aren’t conducting the level of training necessary for firefighters to safely perform their job.
Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire Chief Steve Dulin has mixed feelings about the proposed minimum training standards. He says it’s crucial all firefighters have the proper training, but he says the mandatory training could keep some volunteers from signing up. Dulin says some present firefighters who haven’t had the training may quit because of the additional time commitment that would be required. He says it could the final straw that may force some smaller departments to consider merging or going to paid departments.
Dulin feels the impact on departments in the lakes corridor would be minimal because many local firefighters have already received an equivalency of the training that would be required.
(A portion of this story is from the Associated Press).
