The Shoreline Fire Department Training Division directs the education and training needs for all of our uniformed firefighters.
Firefighters receive a variety of general training courses including emergency vehicle driver training, basic fire fighter skills training, emergency medical aid, multi-company operations, and rescue (capabilities that include confined spaces, rope rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse, and water rescue). The training includes classroom, drill ground practice, and performance evaluations. Fire fighters must train in all areas where they are expected to perform. This translates into an ever-widening arena in which fire fighters’ must prepare for and act with some knowledge in almost any situation. Training in so many fields requires planning, efficiency, and an energetic and enthusiastic group of firefighters.
Coupled with fire and rescue is training in emergency medicine – the mainstay of our regional fire service organizations. Emergency medical intervention consistently accounts for approximately 70% of the requests to 911 for assistance. For training purposes, this means that our firefighters receive initial training and then spend a good part of their available training hours studying, practicing, and being tested on their skills as emergency medical technicians. Each firefighter is required to maintain their skills as an EMS provider by completing the competency-based training curriculum developed by
King County Emergency Medical Services.
Through the Training Division, the Shoreline Fire Department also supports training outside the routine in-house provided instruction. We encourage our members to attend fire-service related classes at the community college level, at the National Fire Academy, and through regional programs that prepare firefighters for higher levels of responsibility
within the organization.