TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis announces the 13th Annual Northwest Florida Volunteer Firefighter Weekend, kicking off at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville today, September 14.

 

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “We have more than 300 people from Florida and our neighboring states looking to join the ranks of our brave volunteer firefighter community. We must do everything we can to bolster their training and support our volunteer firefighters who sacrifice time with family and loved ones to protect their community.

 

“Thank you to the Florida Fire and Emergency Services Foundation, the Florida Forest Service and my team at the Florida State Fire College for their support.”

 

The event includes classes on low angle terrain rescue, electrical safety, firefighter water safety, incident rehab, vehicle operations, vehicle extrication and live fire evolutions. It’s free to Florida volunteer firefighters, and local and statewide instructors will be on hand to share expertise. More than 20 vendors will be in attendance to demonstrate the latest in firefighting practices and equipment.

 

New firefighters can apply for scholarships at this training event through the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants Program. These scholarships include necessary lodging and gear. For more information and a complete list of classes, please visit www.nwflvolunteerffweekend.com.