Tangipahoa Parish (LA) Rural Fire Protection District No. 2 is mandating that all of its fire truck operators complete a defensive driving course, reports hammondstar.com.

The mandate comes on the heels of multiple apparatus accidents in a short period of time. Now, those who drive the district’s vehicles will be required to complete the course by the end of January, according to officials.

Talks around the defensive driving course began earlier this year when the district became aware that its insurance rates had been raised upon renewal in April, the report says. The course is eight hours and taught by an instructor from the insurance company.

Drivers in accidents are being drug-tested immediately after the accident, officials say.

The 33rd consecutive Connecticut Fire Academy (CFA) recruit class has now met The Weeper.

A homemade structural collapse training prop, The Weeper challenges trainees to trust themselves, their equipment, and their ability while working in tight spaces with a limited air supply.

The training is part of the academy’s Safety and Survival Program.

In other CFA training videos:

Firehouse Subs has donated more than $20,000 to the Grand Forks (ND) Fire Department toward the purchase a BullEx Fire Extinguisher Training System, reports grandforksherald.com.

Officials say prior fire extinguisher training was held outdoors, as weather permitted. The funds aim to allow such training to be held anywhere.

To donate or learn more, click here.

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Rosenbauer—Green Oak Township Fire Department, Brighton, MI, pumper. Commander cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Hale RSD 1,500-gpm pump; 750-gallon polypropylene water tank; 60-gallon foam cell; Pneumax 140-PCAF Class A foam system; Honda 6.5-kW generator. Dealer: Bob Colter, Emergency Vehicles Plus, Holland, MI.

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