Oakland Park Fire Rescue welcomes six new firefighter-paramedics to strengthen emergency response across the community

Oakland Park, Florida – Oakland Park Fire Rescue has added six new firefighter-paramedics to its ranks, beginning a training process that will prepare the recruits for emergency response duties throughout the community.

The six new members officially began with the department on August 17. Their arrival marks the start of a five-week department training program designed to introduce them to Oakland Park Fire Rescue’s procedures, expectations and operations before they begin working in the field.

The recruits are not starting from scratch. Each already holds firefighter certification in Florida and is nationally registered as a paramedic. Their previous training gives them a strong foundation in both fire suppression and emergency medical care as they move into their new positions.

Their first week with the department was dedicated to emergency medical services training. That initial focus is particularly important given the large share of calls handled by Oakland Park Fire Rescue that involve medical emergencies.

The recruits will spend the rest of the five-week program learning the department’s specific practices and continuing to build their technical skills. Their training will include Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, or ACLS, and Basic Life Support, or BLS.

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Fire-related exercises will also form an important part of the program. The recruits will take part in fireground training and live-fire exercises, allowing them to continue developing the skills needed to work safely and effectively during emergency incidents.

Vehicle extrication will be another component of the training. This type of instruction prepares firefighters for situations in which people may need to be removed from damaged vehicles following crashes or other emergencies.

Although the five-week program is an important milestone, it is only the beginning of the recruits’ development with Oakland Park Fire Rescue. The department uses the initial training period to make sure new members meet the performance objectives required to continue progressing in their careers.

Once they complete the five-week program, the six firefighter-paramedics will be assigned to one of the department’s three shifts. They will serve across Stations 9, 20 and 87, becoming part of the teams responsible for responding to emergencies in Oakland Park.

Their education will continue well beyond the initial department training. Each recruit will enter a one-year probationary period during which they will continue learning and working toward additional performance objectives.

That year will expose them to the many responsibilities expected of a firefighter-paramedic. The goal is to help the new members gain the practical experience and confidence necessary to become fully functioning members of the firefighting team.

The timing of the new hires is significant for a department that handles a steady volume of emergency calls. Oakland Park Fire Rescue responds to approximately 9,500 calls for service each year.

Nearly 80 percent of those calls involve emergency medical needs. That figure highlights the importance of having personnel who can provide both firefighting and medical response when residents or visitors need help.

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Firefighter-paramedics are trained to fill both roles, allowing the department to respond to a wide range of emergencies. The addition of six new members will increase the department’s ability to maintain timely response and provide fire and medical services throughout the community.

Oakland Park Fire Rescue is also entering this period of growth after recently receiving an improved Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification. The department’s classification moved from Class 3 to Class 2.

The improved classification reflects performance in several areas related to fire protection, including staffing, training, equipment, emergency communications and fire prevention. The change recognizes the department’s efforts in maintaining the resources and systems needed to protect the community.

For the six new recruits, however, the focus now is on learning the Oakland Park way of doing the job. The coming weeks will involve classroom instruction, hands-on exercises and practical training designed to prepare them for the demands of emergency response.

Their eventual assignments to Stations 9, 20 and 87 will put them directly into the department’s operations, where the experience gained during their probationary year will become an important part of their professional development.

As they begin that journey, Oakland Park Fire Rescue is welcoming six new members who already bring firefighter and paramedic qualifications to the department and are now working to build on that experience.

The department said the addition of the firefighter-paramedics will help it continue providing timely emergency response and high-quality fire and medical services across Oakland Park.

For the recruits, August 17 was the beginning of a demanding new chapter. For the community, their arrival adds six trained professionals to a department responsible for thousands of emergency calls each year.