Salem Fire Department Welcomes 15 New Firefighter-Paramedics

The graduation marks the successful completion of an intensive 14-week firefighter academy.

The Salem Fire Department is welcoming 15 new firefighter/paramedics after their successful completion of the department's firefighter academy. Photo Courtesy: Salem Fire Department

(SALEM, Ore. ) - The Salem Fire Department is welcoming 15 new firefighter/paramedics after their successful completion of the department's firefighter academy.

The graduation marks the successful completion of an intensive 14-week firefighter academy, which included a combination of classroom, hands-on, and on-the-job training.

All recruits participated in an initial two week training academy that was designed to meet State and National standards for basic firefighter and then began subsequent phases of training that included responding as teams to emergencies within the community.

Phase II of the department's recruit training program involved staffing a 24-hour training engine responding from Fire Station 11, located at 1970 Orchard Heights Road NW.

Twelve of the newly hired, entry-level recruit firefighter/paramedics were assigned to three 24-hour shifts, which were led by seasoned Salem fire captains and apparatus operators.

Each of the six-person crews continued rigorous hands-on training that included firefighting techniques, fireground operations, and emergency medical care.

The 3 other firefighters, who each had considerable experience from other career fire departments, continued a 2-week training program and then began assignments at fire stations in the community.

The enhanced recruit academy model was selected to provide better on-the-job experience for the new firefighters, while also adding coverage for emergencies in Salem.

The 24-hour coverage allowed for quick response to medical emergencies, vehicle crashes, and miscellaneous emergency calls, augmenting the primary fire response in the community.

As the training academy continued, the crews responded to additional emergency calls, which provided valuable experience for the new firefighters, as well as augmenting the staffing levels in the community.

The graduates include:

Paul Amar Nathaniel Arguien Steve Cudeck Peter Desmarteau Dylan Harvey Allan Kehrer Dustin Labrousse Josh Massie Tyler Mendel William O'Connell Ian Poulos Matthew Shore Daniel Steffen Brent Stepman Joseph Weigand

The training engines were led by seasoned fire captains and apparatus operators and included:

A-Shift - Captain Rich Lee, Apparatus Operator Brian Mitzel B-Shift - Captain Jason Armstrong, Apparatus Operator Trevor Fosmark C-Shift - Captain Gary West, Apparatus Operator Chuck Ettel

The department's recruitment process began in the winter of 2013 and 15 fifteen recruits were hired to maintain staffing levels and replace vacancies that occurred over the previous year.

The 2014 recruit class included 12 entry-level firefighters and 3 lateral-transfer firefighters that came from other career fire departments. The class included 8 people who resided in Oregon as well as 7 others that relocated from out of state.

Prior to beginning employment with the Salem Fire Department, all recruits were required to be certified as paramedics and also completed extensive testing requirements, including written exams, emergency medical scenarios, physical agility tests, and comprehensive interviews.

Source: Salem Fire Department