Local firefighters get training about oilfield industry

GRANVILLE

Springfield Township Fire Chief Matt Gebhardt wants 100 percent of the volunteer Springfield firefighters to participate in an oilfield training program.

Already there are 14 of about 62 Springfield firefighters with the training under their belts. But because of the influx of oil and gas industry here, he believes it’s important for all the firefighters to have — and it’s free education.

“It was a very well put together program,” Gebhardt said.

The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program’s Responding to Oilfield Emergencies Training Workshop is fully funded by Ohio’s natural gas and crude oil producers and is free to Ohio firefighters.

Lt. Raymond Davis and firefighter Dustin Davis, father and son, of the Springfield Township Fire Department and Boardman firefighter John Berardi participated in the two-day, hands-on program in May.

OOGEEP’s program has had more than 1,100 firefighters from Ohio and seven other states in attendance since it began 13 years ago. Each participant received a certificate of attendance to go toward continuing education units as well as an optional college graduate credit.

The program teaches firefighters in the classroom about the oil and gas industry and the equipment used.

Read more about the program in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.