WFD sends two members to Emergency Vehicle Operator Instructor class

Earlier this month, the Whitesboro Fire Department (WFD) sent two members to an emergency vehicle operator class that trained participants how to instruct and customize a course for their own departments.  

Lieutenant Josh Velten and FF/EMT Brett Ferguson made the drive to Marble Falls and spent two days in the class. The two joined almost 30 other participants from a dozen agencies all over Texas for the class. The class was held by VFIS Insurance as one of their offerings customized to fire and EMS agencies. While VFIS does not insure WFD, the class was open to any departments and WFD took advantage of the opportunity.

Whitesboro’s Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Patterson saw the value in the class and recruited Velten and Ferguson to attend the class.  

“The class provides a thorough overview of emergency vehicle operations and allows these instructors to come back and teach this class to our staff. This will be something we try to accomplish annually as part of our driver training,” Patterson said.

The class contained information on developing an Emergency Vehicle Operating Course (EVOC) for both fire and EMS vehicles and their operators. The course that will be customized for WFD will include a classroom portion and a driving portion. The classroom portion will cover the department’s existing Standard Operating Guidelines and Procedures as well as focus on accident prevention, scene safety, and outside factors that affect the safe operation of emergency vehicles.

The driving portion of the class will see drivers navigate a course of traffic cones set up to simulate road conditions they may face here in the Whitesboro area. Drivers and operators will get an opportunity to see first-hand how the size of the apparatus affects turning radius and clearances in stereotypical driving situations. The course is designed to be administered annually for every designated driver or operator of the department but also doubles to expose new or probationary drivers to driving department vehicles in a controlled environment.

As WFD gets busier, more miles and hours get put behind the steering wheels of the department’s fleet.  The implementation of this course by the department will allow them to be proactive in preventing and reducing injuries and damage caused by the increases in vehicle operation. The goal is to have the program up and running in the next few months and start the process of training the department in the updated program.