Firefighters Graduate from Training

SCHOHARIE — The Interior Firefighting Operations/SCBA – Firefighter 1 course finished up on Saturday May 16. Students completed 50 hours of training. Before taking this course, students had to complete the BEFO (Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations) course which is 79 hours. These courses are held two evenings a week and some Saturdays.

The curriculum is developed and delivered by NYS DHSES Office of Fire Prevention and Control Fire Instructors. Schoharie County’s instructors are all local fire service veterans.

Supporting the hands-on portions of the course held at the Schoharie County Fire Training Center were the Schoharie County Office of Emergency Services EMS branch, as well as all of the fire departments who had students in the class. Departments provide their apparatus at each evolution.

A & M Towing and Recovery graciously provided the vehicles to burn for the vehicle fire evolution, as they have for many years.

This course prepares new BEFO graduates to operate as Interior Structural firefighters at the fire scene. Students participate in learning events covering firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE), self-contained breathing apparatus donning, doffing and use, SCBA air management and SCBA emergencies, basic firefighter survival techniques, modern fire control methods, building fire search and victim removal techniques, firefighter survival skills,

tactical ventilation techniques and basic power saw operation, forcible entry techniques, hose line advancement, vehicle and wildland firefighting theory, vehicle firefighting techniques,

coordinated structure fire interior attack and transitional fire attack and coordinated initial company operations.

Class 01-05-0102-586 Schoharie County IFO Spring 2026: Michael Berfield (Grand Gorge), Nick Mackey (East Worcester), Tom Buel (Asst. Instructor), Dean Johnson (Esperance), Brandan Buel (Conesville), Brian Brousseau (Carlisle), Evan Eichler (East Worcester), Xavier Semel-Defeo (East Worcester), Madilyn Chiavetta-Perrott (Cobleskill), Bryan McFadden (Sharon Springs), Andrew Tator (Lead Instructor), Aiden Billings (Conesville), Jason Fessel (Richmondville), Gavin VanEtten (Stamford), Todd Funk (Stamford), Jake Van Cleef (Stamford), Amber DeLaet (West Fulton), Tim James (Huntersland), Josh Graham (Cobleskill)...Instructors not pictured: Mike Boomhower, Mike Walsh, Dan Minalga, Theresa Brown, Cody Whittaker, Lindsey Tibbitts, Chris Degnan.