Fire District 1 Donates Fire Engine to KCC

Klamath Falls, Ore. – Students who enter Klamath Community Colleges’ new Resident Student Firefighter Program will learn their future trade on a fire engine recently donated to the college by Klamath County Fire District 1.

The 1990 E1 engine is a 1,250 gallon-per-minute triple combination pumper that carries 750 gallons of water, a pump, ground ladders, and hose. The cab is fully enclosed and seats four personnel. To help provide students with real-world experience, other local fire agencies are donating equipment to outfit the engine.

“The engine will work for any operation that is performed by a fire department,” said District 1 Fire Chief John Spradley. “Everything a firefighter needs to perform initial attack on a fire has a place on that apparatus.”

The engine was purchased with funding from a special levy in 1989, when local fire response was divided into two departments: the City of Klamath Falls Fire Department and Klamath County Fire District 1. The two merged in 1994 to form the current Klamath County Fire District 1.

“The engine was bought and paid for by local people and now it’s being given back to the community,” Spradley said. “The truck has come full circle and will provide hands-on training for future firefighters.”

Students enrolled in Emergency Response Operations certificate and degree programs and the Resident Student Firefighter Program will use the engine to gain practical firefighting experience.

“It’s basically a rolling classroom,” said Mac Brock, KCC director of public safety training. “It’s a professional engine and will give students a feel for what they will be doing as a professional firefighter.”

KCC’s Resident Student Firefighter Program kicks off this summer, with field training for structural and wildland firefighting. Applicants who are accepted into the program will have an opportunity to live at a local fire station and receive first-hand, real-world experience while pursuing an Associate of Applied Science at KCC. The program also provides students a college expense reimbursement up to $4,500 per academic year.

The deadline to apply for the Resident Student Firefighter Program has been extended to Friday, May 4.

“We are excited support programs that offer opportunities for local residents to earn a fire science degree and to provide increased training opportunity for paid and volunteer personnel

throughout Klamath County,” Spradley said. “The district looks forward to continued success with all its emergency response partners and KCC.”

For more information about the Resident Student Firefighter Program, visit the program website, https://bit.ly/2IfT2RX,  or contact Mac Brock at 541-880-2373 or brock@klamathcc.edu.

Press release provided from Klamath Community College.