Our Firefighters are the most important asset of our organization. They are the first ones to come into contact with the public and we strive to ensure that they receive the best training possible.

Firefighter training is divided into two basic categories, probationary training and continuing education.

Probationary Training

Once a new Firefighter graduates from the recruit academy (or joins the organization as a lateral entry), they begin an intensive training program that is divided into phases. Phase one was their orientation and recruit academy. Upon graduation, they enter phase two. The Firefighter is assigned to a shift Captain and they begin to work on their Level 3 tasks from their task book. They complete  shift evaluations and probationary reports. At the conclusion of phase two, they are given a written and practical exam to ensure competency. Additionally, at the end of each phase, a written and practical exam is given. At the end of their probation, they are given a final written and practical exam covering all aspects of fire and EMS to ensure they are fully prepared to complete any task required of them.

As part of their first year training, all Firefighters are encouraged to obtain their EMT, red card (Wildland Firefighter 2), and participate in live fire training.

Continuing Education

To ensure that firefighters are fully prepared to serve the public at the highest level possible, every Firefighter is required to train each shift. The Training Division offers a wide variety of training sessions that both presents new information as well as refresher training on skills previously taught. All state and federal requirements are met through the Districts training program.

Firefighters are given numerous opportunities for live fire training (the District typically conducts 3-4 live fire training sessions per year) thus ensuring that they are trained under realistic conditions. Additionally, training is conducted with mutual aid companies as often as possible. The District is currently training with the West Thurston Fire Consortuim and is developing in its version of FOTEP training program.

The state of Washington has adopted the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) certifications as the standard for all fire departments within the state. Although not required, an IFSAC certification carries the weight of meeting the international standard as set forth by IFSAC and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and thereby is valuable for not only the firefighter but also the fire district.

The goal of the Districts'  volunteer personnel is to recieve IFSAC certification at Firefighter 1. The District continues to train and test (annual individual evaluations) to this standard and is aggressively encouraging all of its volunteer firefighters to obtain this certification.