WCFR awards helmet shields to 7 new Walton County firefighters

07/11/2018 Sharon Swanepoel Police and Fire, Police and Fire, Top News 0

New Walton County Fire Rescue firefighters were presented with their helmet shields at a ceremony on Tuesday, July 10, 2018. Capt.

Jeff Allen, training officer for WCFR, said these firefighters recently completed Firefighter NPQ-I training.

“These firefighters all recently finished a 120-hour course for Georgia Basic Firefighter, either through our volunteer recruit training program or the Walton County Board Of Education/WCFR high school internship program,” Allen said. “Upon completion of those programs, these recruits opted to advance their training, an additional 40 hours which included rigorous skills evaluations and studying for a written test. They completed their testing on June 30th.

Allen said at the ceremony the new recruits were given their helmet shields.

“Protective gear, including a helmet, is issued as a part of their training. The shield has to be earned. They have attained the minimum standards for a firefighter in the state of Georgia,” Allen said. “They have essentially reached the starting line of their career; a lot of training, very little experience. They’re no longer recruits, they are now probationary firefighters. Rookies.”

Pictures of the NPQ Skills test, June 30th. From left, firefighters Justin Buice, David Huff, Christopher Pounds, Raif Yarbrough, Timothy McElveen and Tanner Van Vorst. (Not Pictured: Jordan Case). Photo credit: Capt. Jeff Allen

Allen said all of the new firefighters have decided to continue pushing forward.

“Next they will start training to NPQ II,” Allen said.

One of the new firefighters who received his helmet shield Tuesday, Timothy McElveen, spoke about his sense of achievement on becoming a firefighter.

“Completing the NPQ1 certification is a great achievement for all of us. Personally, I have been working hard to gain this certification so receiving it means a lot. From the beginning as an explorer to becoming an intern, then to a volunteer, and now to a certified firefighter, we have worked tirelessly to get to this point,” McElveen said. “For most of us, this is only the start of our firefighting career and, with this certification, we can continue to build our knowledge-base and gain experience to become better firefighters. “

Photo Gallery of new WCFR firefighters taking NPQ-1 test on June 30, 2018.

Photo credit: Capt. Jeff Allen, WCFR