“The importance of driver training of fire apparatus cannot be overstated,” begins IFSTA Executive Director Mike Wieder in the latest "Everyone Goes Home" video from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Driving to and from emergency calls is the most dangerous activity a firefighter does on a daily basis, and the implications drawn from this are obvious. All drivers must be trained to the national standards, NFPA 1002 specifically, which offers theoretical and practical recommendations of knowledge needed for each apparatus type. Allowing drivers to operate vehicles they are not specifically trained to drive puts crew members in unnecessary peril and impacts your capacity to arrive at a scene and offer life-saving interventions.
