Olean City Fire Department training largest number of recruits in many years

By RICK MILLER

Olean Star

Last week, the newest batch of Olean City Fire Department recruits passed the midway point in its 12-week training session.

Seven new recruits and a Salamanca firefighter comprise the training roster.

Training Officer Capt. Nick Ramire said the number of new recruits is the largest in many years. 

That’s due in part to a federal $570,000 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant, which pays for four new firefighters.

The latest Olean Recruit Firefighter Academy started the last week in May and will end with graduation on Aug. 28.

“They’ve had a lot of good training opportunities,” said Ramire of Platoon E, the training division. He is a 16-year department veteran and paramedic.

“Every week is different,” he said. Last week the recruits were at Forness Pond for live field pump operations.

The recruits participate in daily physical training — including running, task oriented interval workouts, and resistance training. 

The first week’s training included emergency vehicle operations, personal protective equipment and donning turn-out gear. Subsequent training has focused on use of 

SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus), ground ladder, search and firefighter survival training.

The recruits trained for hours in zero visibility (smoke) at the Gargoyle training facility and the Salamanca Fire Department’s maze, where they learned search and victim rescue techniques.

Part of the physical training involved climbing up the 104-foot ladder on the department’s ladder truck.

The latest training has involved various forms of hazardous materials.

The receuits are: Benjamin Roosa, Drew Langdon, Jessie Hamed, Noah Bartholomew, Tyler Robinson, Micah Jordan, Aiden Gregorio and Salamanca Fire Department recruit Jeff Maybee.