Sponsorship Information

What is State Fire School (SFS)?

Bowling Green State University has been proudly hosting State Fire School since 1974. University Outreach holds charter 369 through the Ohio Department of Public Safety and offers classes that meet the needs of the person with little or no experience and that of individuals who are seeking to gain advanced, specialized skills and knowledge.

State Fire School began at BGSU in  May of 1974 with a group of fewer than 200 students. Since that time the May school has increased its annual attendance to more than 500. In 2003 a second annual October school was added at BGSU and in 2005 a third school was added in Cincinnati (Hamilton County Fire School).  At present we offer more than 40 classes, online classes, specialized technical rescue certification, contract training and SFS “On the Road”. Virtually every State Fire School class can be delivered off-site, at your department or business.

SFS classes include subjects such as technical rope rescue, auto extrication, industrial brigade, structural collapse and advanced fire fighting. Individuals choose classes based on their area of specialization and on the needs of their local communities. Hands-on, reality-based experiences are included in many classes and all are led by experienced and professional teams of instructors. Lead instructors are carefully selected based on professional experience and knowledge and evaluations completed by SFS participants. Classes are held at a variety of sites, including the campus of BGSU and several off-site locations that are chosen based on the requirements for the scenarios that are incorporated into the instruction. SFS uses acquired structures for many burn scenarios and real vehicles for auto extrication training. Classes such as Fire Tactics, Structural Collapse and Auto Extrication need support and donations from a wide range of resources including structures to burn, equipment, supplies and financial support for operating expenses.