SLVFD members Christina Barbour, Craig Barry, Trever Brier, Keegan Muldowney, and Jim Stinson spent a large portion of their summer training along with 23 other firefighters from 11 seperate departments from throughout Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties completing the New York State Firefighter 1 and Firefighter Survival Courses.

A graduation ceremony was held at the Keeseville Fire Station on 10/1/2010 to recognize this achievement. Among the approximately 90 attendees was Chief Keough and family members, but, of special note SLVFD's longest "currently" serving active member Frank Brier who joined the SLVFD in 1965 and who currently serves as a Director and also as Captain of the Fire Police was able to be recognized and assisted in the delivery of his son's Trever Brier's diploma.

The "Firefighter I" course is designed to prepare the student for work as a "combat ready" interior structural firefighter. The course combines the following courses into 1 complete course. Essentials of Firefighting, Initial Fire Attack, Fire Behavior, Haz-Mat Operations, Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness, and Confined Space Awareness. The course also includes components of Firefighter Survival and Mask Confidence.

The "Firefighter Survival" course is based on Chief John Salka's "Get Out Alive" program, this program is designed for self-rescue and rescue of trapped firefighters. The course content enables firefighters to recognize the types of events encountered on the fireground that contribute to firefighter disorientation and/or entrapment; to have knowledge of what is necessary to ensure their safety and that of their partners or crew members; and to perform self-rescue techniques when disoriented, separated, or needing to exit a structure in an emergency. This course requires students to perform a number of practical evolutions with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

Click Link to see slide show presentation from graduation ceremony, includes live fire training photos http://www.saranaclakefire.com/content/videos/ff1graduation.cfm