Hanna Fire Department reports successful second quarter

Town of Hanna
Written by ECA Review

In the recently released second-quarter report of the Hanna Fire Department, Fire Chief David Mohl highlighted their continued success in recruitment, retention and training efforts.

Mohl explained the second quarter report to Hanna town council during their July 11 regular meeting.

“We have a full roster because people want to be firefighters here,”Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kim Neill said about the Hanna Fire Department.

Mohl echoed this sentiment: “recruitment and retention are good right now.”

Comparing the second quarter of this year to the previous year, Mohl reported, “this second quarter was very comparable to last year’s second quarter.”

The department responded to 36 incidents, only one less than the previous year’s 37. Mohl also noted that the five-year average for the second quarter is 29 calls, indicating that the department is still operating above average.

In terms of training, the department has made significant progress. They recently completed a National Fire Protection Association 1001 Firefighter One Standard class, a regional course with 27 participants, with five students from the Hanna department.

“Which gets us to 29 of our 30 members that are trained to the National Fire Protection Association 1001 firefighter one level,” Mohl stated.

This accomplishment reflects the dedication and hard work put into training, and the department plans to host their first-ever National Fire Protection Association 1001 level two course in the upcoming fall or early next spring.

Recognizing the importance of comprehensive training, Mohl emphasized the nature of the program, stating, “It’s quite extensive.”

The NFPA 1001 training includes online learning, readings, quizzes, and five intensive training weekends, totalling approximately 19 to 20 hours.

“Our level is way higher now than what we were even 10 years ago,” said Mohl, speaking about the standard of training. The training the firefighters are receiving is also recognized across North America.

“I wanted council to be aware that it’s an extensive process,” said CAO Neill, “so a lot of time and commitments from these volunteers to take that training,” when speaking about the dedication from Hanna’s volunteer firefighters.

Jessica Campbell
ECA Review

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