A new law will make it easier for firefighters to complete needed training by requiring the state to offer the classes online.
The move is especially significant for rural firefighters who don’t live near the state’s fire training centers, said Jerry Ozog, director of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute.
Act 106, signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf on Nov. 27 directs the Office of State Fire Commissioner to develop an online training system.
For most training, firefighters have had to travel to sit through in-person lectures, Ozog said. The move to offer online classes was included in the series of recommendations made by a task force that examined the struggle fire companies have in attracting and retaining firefighters, Ozog said.
In the 1970's, Pennsylvania had more than 300,000 volunteer firefighters. Today there are fewer than 40,000, Ozog said.