Students From East End Fire Departments Graduate From Fire Service Vessel Operators Course

Photo courtesy of Charles Turner

On Friday, Oct. 24, 80 students from 18 East End fire departments graduated from the Fire Service Vessel Operators Course.

This course is a 30 hour course ran by personnel from United State Coast Guard and East End Marine Task Force. The course entails classes and underway vessel training on Search and Rescue Procedures, Basic Radio Communications, Risk Assessment, Search Patterns, Basic Navigation Rules, Basic Navigation, Personal Protective Equipment, and Vessel Emergency Procedures.

The training is critical in establishing a standardized level of coordination and training for responders and ensured all other responders in the area were familiar with the capabilities and limitations of fire department resources.

The ceremony was concluded with the signing of Memorandum of Understandings between each fire department’s chief and US Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound’s Captain Edward Cabanski.

Graduates were from:

• Eastport Fire Department
• East Quogue Fire Department
• Quogue Fire Department
• Southampton Fire Department
• North Sea Fire Department
• Sag Harbor Fire Department
• Shelter Island Fire Department
• Southold Fire Department
• Orient Fire Department
• Cutchogue Fire Department
• Mattituck Fire Department
• Jamesport Fire Department
• Riverhead Fire Department
• Flanders Fire Department
• Springs Fire Department
• Montauk Fire Department
• East Moriches Fire Department
• Center Moriches Fire Department