BGSU State Fire School receives funding

BOWLING GREEN, O.—The Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) recently awarded Bowling Green State University’s State Fire School an $80,000 stipend to conduct statewide rescue training classes.

The funds will be used for the development and delivery of technical-rescue training for the eight regional urban search and rescue teams in the state.

State Fire School will work with each of the regional directors to meet their team’s training needs.

“These funds will be used to develop and deliver classes such as rope rescue and confined space rescue at no cost to the fire departments or individuals,” said Ann Light, assistant dean of BGSU Continuing & Extended Education. “This means that more emergency responders will be trained and ready to deal with complicated and demanding situations in Ohio and across the nation.”

“After evaluation of current programs available in Ohio, the only program in the state with the facilities, instructor base and administrative support to provide the training is Bowling Green State University,” said Mel House, OEMA director of operations.

BGSU and Continuing & Extended Education have offered training programs through State Fire School for more than 30 years, and currently deliver regional technical-rescue training.

“Receiving this support is an honor and a privilege for State Fire School because it demonstrates that the Ohio EMA has confidence in our ability to deliver high-quality training,” Light said. “We worked with the Ohio EMA on a pilot program last year and, after that success, they decided to expand it this year.”

For more information on the available training and funding, contact Ann Light or Kerry Fisher at 419-372-8181 or 1-877-650-8165.

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(Posted October 21, 2008 )