TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis today announced that the 12th annual Northwest Florida Volunteer Firefighter Weekend previously postponed due to Hurricane Irma will take place this weekend. More than 200 volunteer firefighters have registered for this rescheduled event, which offers free classroom and field training courses to volunteer firefighters. Hosted at the Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, the event is open to all volunteer firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, and military in Florida and all southeast states. 

 

CFO Patronis said, “Volunteer fire departments offer lifesaving services to our communities, oftentimes operating on very low budgets. We must do everything we can to ensure that our firefighters have every bit of the training and expertise they need to safely perform their jobs, and I am proud to be part of this free training opportunity that will no doubt help first responders better serve their fellow Floridians.”

 

Originally set to take place in September, participants can now register to take active shooter response and animal first aid courses, as well as live burn classes and more. Courses will begin Friday, November 17 and continue through Sunday evening, November 19. Most live burn classes will take place on Saturday.

 

Firefighters can register online www.nwflvolunteerffweekend.com through Thursday afternoon. Individuals can register in person after online registration closes. Individuals with questions about the course offerings or registration process are encouraged to email staff at staff@nwflvolunteerffweekend.com.

 

Members of the media are encouraged to contact Mike Cox at 727-639-3703 to arrange on-site interviews.