Five members of West Mead #1 with approximately 115 other firefighters attended the annual Crawford-Venango County Fire School, held each year on the Cambridge Springs High School grounds. Courses taken by Dept 28 personnel this year included Introduction to Basic Firemanship “A” (Basic-A), taught by Allen Clark; Pump Operations I, taught by Tim Ekstrom; and Arson Detection for the First Responder, taught by Scott Hyde.

The West Mead #1 junior firefighters attending the Basic Firemanship class wrote the following:

During the fire school I learned a lot of things I never knew before. For example, I learned what a flashover and a backdraft are. Also, I learned how to carry ladders different ways. Another thing I learned is to always keep your gear clean. I had lots of fun at the fire school as well. – Nolan Jackson

The Crawford-Venango Fire School is a great place to take great classes and learn many things in just one weekend. Basic-A is a great class to take if you have little experience or just need a refresher on the skills you’ve learned in the Essentials of Firefighting. I would recommend the Crawford-Venango Fire School to any volunteer firefighter sixteen and older who is looking for a great weekend with others who all want to serve and protect. – Kyle Corey