Nineteen students completing the latest Chester County Firefighter I Training Course recently conducted final firefighting exercises at the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus. The exercises covered search and rescue, indoor firefighting, fire attack types, auto fires, dumpster fires, and stages of fires. All exercises represent the final steps needed to complete the 188-hour classroom and practical skills certification. Chester County's current Firefighter I class includes 17 men and two women, the majority of whom are college students who are adding the first responder certification to their other qualifications.

More firefighters are needed across the state and the nation. In Chester County, most firefighters are volunteers, which adds to the challenges of recruitment and retention of firefighters. Matt Fink, Chester County Department of Emergency Services fire training officer and leader of the Firefighter I course, noted that the Firefighter I course is offered throughout the year.