Zeigler Fire Department members participate in engine company training this week.

By BRUCE A. FASOL

The first Wednesday of 2013 found 10 members of the Zeigler Fire Department doing what they normally do: training. Wednesday evenings are training sessions for Chief David Greer’s department. This training is for both veteran firefighters and those in training to become a firefighter. These are relatively new training rules implemented for that department.

A person undergoing training to become a member of the Zeigler Fire Department must complete a two-year training program to move from “firefighter candidate” to actual firefighter. This goes above and beyond the lack of mandatory state regulations covering training for certification.

The Zeigler Fire Department studies a different aspect of training each Wednesday evening. Some sessions may cover equipment, regulations, and of course procedural situations. The actual scene procedural training is done with full “bunker gear” worn by fire crews to more closely replicate real-life situations. Captain Ron Duigood handles the training tasks as the designated officer in that department.

The Zeigler Fire Dept. responded to more than 320 calls in calendar year 2012.