By Roxy Ekberg
Republican Staff
Members of the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department attended the 2024 Nebraska State Volunteer Fire School.
Located in Grand Island at the State Fair park, the attendees received three days of hands-on and classroom training from May 17-19.
Held annually, the fire school is in its 87 year. Nick Ekberg, Wakefield’s volunteer fire department vice president, said the department has been attending the training program for decades.
“It's a lot of continuing education, getting different viewpoints and trainings from other fire marshal trainers,” Ekberg said. We do a lot of in house training, and some regional stuff, but it's good to get ideas from people around the state people that you may not get to talk to or work with ever to try to learn how to do stuff differently and get better tips.”
Seven of Wakefield’s firefighters attended the training - five as students and two as instructors.
With 33 classes to choose from, the department divided who would attend which classes.
Brendan Nicholson took advanced SCB A (air pack), practiced techniques in tight situations, and learned the importance of communication while in fires and hazmat situations.
Nick Gonzalez attended intro to fire fighting. This class took newer fire fighters through fire suppression, ladder, and air pack training.
Nick's major take away was learning fire theory - how to read a fire and tell what might happen next.
Andy Vazquez received training on rural water supply, learning about getting, transferring, and pumping water on rural scenes.
Carissa Helzer sat in on Emergency Medical Technician classes.
The classes provided a refresher course for her before taking and passing her EMT exam. She enjoyed all the speakers’ different views and experience.
Ekberg took Emergency Medical Technician classes. The instructors educated on new practices and used case studies to help with critical thinking.
Dakota Roberts, a captain with the department, helped teach basic vehicle extrication. He taught newer firemen with minimal experience in cutting up cars how to safely remove patients.
Fire Chief Adam Ulrich helped teach commercial vehicle extrication. He enjoyed teaching students how to think outside the box and use the tools they have to cut up large trucks.
Ekberg said an important part of fire school is allowing for everyone to get in repetition of skills and re-learning procedures.