Fire Dept. Personnel Take Emergency Vehicle Operation Course
Program said to boost public safety, save on town insurance premiums.
The following is an announcement from the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association:
Town leaders in Lynnfield recently enlisted members of its fire department in an Emergency Vehicle Operation Course (EVOC) held in Wayland. The free preventative training program is designed to enhance firefighters’ driving skills, to ensure employees’ and the public’s safety, and to save money on the town’s insurance premiums.
EVOC is a full-day comprehensive training program on the safe operation of fire engines. The course consists of a classroom training followed by several hands-on exercises addressing a number of situations regularly encountered while operating emergency vehicles, including cornering, evasive maneuvers, braking, and backing up. The training enables drivers to become familiar with and practice these extreme driving maneuvers in a safe, off-road setting. The training helps them avoid accidents and become better prepared for real-life emergencies.
“Ongoing training is essential to the effective operation of our Fire Department. We are pleased that MIIA administers these periodic training programs since not only does it benefit our department and its employees, the town realizes significant cost savings on its general liability insurance premiums,” said Town Administrator William Gustus.
The Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA), the town’s property and casualty insurance provider, presented the training. Lynnfield participates in this and other no-cost MIIA training and educational courses to enhance employee safety and reduce risk. Upon completion of this and other MIIA risk- and loss-prevention programs, the municipality is eligible to receive insurance premium credits through the MIIA Rewards Programs.
Old Chief
9:49 am on Monday, July 9, 2012
Most fire departments of which I'm aware, provide driver training as an ongoing in-service training course. However, it is commendable that MIIA enhances that training with a training standard of its own.
Perhaps to underscore the importance of driver training and safety, we on this coast can take a lesson from the other. On the West Coast (and South and Florida) they've established the position of Engineer, the driver/pump operator of fire apparatus. Firefighters are promoted based on their abilities determined by written, oral, driving and pump operating tests. Such promise of promotion provides tremendous incentive to learn and practice safe driving skills and assures that only the best are behind the wheel on emergency responses.