AJ JACKSON, TRAINING, SAFETY & EMS DIVISION CHIEF
Training & Safety supports a safe working environment for all PF&R employees by ensuring that they have the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform their jobs safely and effectively. These activities range from in-service training on new techniques and equipment to on-going training to meet recertification requirements for state and federal agencies. Sections within Training, Safety & EMS include:

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
This section provides oversight and management of the training, certifications, policies, and procedures necessary to function as EMS first responders.

In-Service Training
In-service training performs research, analyzes trends, and develops and delivers ongoing training, testing, and skills maintenance for firefighters and PF&R personnel. Firefighters are exposed to a vast array of incident types and need continuous training to prepare them with the necessary skills, abilities, and experience to respond safely and effectively.

Training Academy
The Training Academy provides new firefighters with the academic knowledge and physical skills needed to perform their jobs safely. Firefighters who successfully complete the academy transition to an active fire station where they are closely supervised and receive on-the-job experience.

Recruiting
PF&R’s Recruiter facilitates the firefighter recruitment and hiring process. In addition, the Recruiter coordinates and attends outreach activities such as local and regional job fairs, cultural events and community service events to provide information to individuals and answer questions about a career in firefighting. The Recruiter’s efforts are critical to attracting a diverse pool of candidates to PF&R who may not have otherwise considered firefighting as a career.

Television Services
This group maintains a live television studio and develops in-house training videos, which allows and supports in-service training and communication to occur within the fire stations while the crews remain in service. In addition, TV Services’ live television programming line-up serves as an important communications vehicle from PF&R’s leadership to all bureau personnel.

The Safety Officer
PF&R has developed and continues to support a culture of safety for its employees. The Safety Officer is charged with monitoring safety throughout the Fire Bureau and develops and implements policies that increase the safety of PF&R personnel who engage in emergency operations. This position responds to all multiple-alarm fires and unusual incidents, acting as the Incident Safety Officer. The Safety Officer performs post-incident reviews of all major incidents and makes recommendations for improving firefighter safety based on lessons learned. The Safety Officer investigates all injuries to PF&R employees, implements solutions to emerging trends and coordinates the Bureau’s Safety Committee. The Officer interprets rules and develops programs to meet Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations for PF&R.