Poudre Fire Authority Conducts Biannual Training to Enhance Emergency Response Skills
Poudre Fire Authority crews completed their fall "Eight Hour Day" training program October 2, conducting intensive hands-on exercises focused on medical emergencies, trauma response, and hazardous materials handling to maintain readiness for complex emergency situations across Northern Colorado.
The comprehensive training covered trauma-induced cardiac arrest scenarios, difficult airway management, and responses to emergencies involving car accidents and falls. Firefighters also practiced specialized communication techniques for assisting patients with dementia and non-English speakers during emergency situations.
The biannual training program occurs every spring and fall, ensuring PFA's approximately 230 full-time equivalent employees maintain current skills and certification requirements while addressing community-specific needs across the agency's 230-square-mile service area.
Specialized Dementia Care Training Improves Patient Outcomes
PFA partnered with Dementia Together NoCo to provide specialized training in communicating with and delivering care to patients experiencing dementia-related emergencies. The collaboration reflects growing recognition of Northern Colorado's aging population and the need for first responders to understand cognitive accessibility during crisis situations.
Dementia Together, formerly known as Dementia-Friendly Communities of Northern Colorado, operates with the mission "No one has to walk the dementia journey alone," according to the nonprofit organization. The group provides education, enrichment programs, caregiver support, and community advocacy throughout the region.
The partnership benefits local residents by improving first responder awareness and training to recognize and assist people with dementia during emergencies, enhancing safety and reducing stress for residents affected by dementia. Emergency services training helps agencies tailor response protocols specific to dementia-related vulnerabilities.
Training Exceeds State Requirements
Colorado's Division of Fire Prevention & Control requires professional firefighters to meet Job Performance Requirements benchmarked to National Fire Protection Association standards, with ongoing training for skills such as live-fire evolutions, hazardous materials, and technical rescue, according to state regulations.
PFA's biannual "Eight Hour Day" program meets and exceeds typical state minimums for continued professional competency by emphasizing integrated, department-wide readiness and community-specific hazards. The consolidated training format allows crews to practice complex scenarios requiring coordination between medical response, hazardous materials protocols, and specialized patient communication.
Emergency medical services providers must complete state-mandated continuing education hours every two to three years to maintain licensure through the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. PFA's training schedule ensures crews remain current on new protocols, safety practices, and performance standards.
The fall training session incorporated hazardous materials response during afternoon sessions, addressing chemical emergencies and environmental hazards that crews encounter throughout Larimer and Weld Counties. This training component reflects the diverse emergency types PFA handles across its jurisdiction, which includes urban Fort Collins, rural areas, and industrial facilities.
Multi-Language Response Capabilities
Training scenarios incorporated emergency response for non-English speaking residents, addressing communication barriers that can complicate medical emergencies and delay appropriate care. The focus reflects Northern Colorado's diverse population and the need for effective emergency services regardless of language barriers.
PFA serves communities including Fort Collins, Timnath, LaPorte, Bellvue, and unincorporated areas of Larimer and Weld Counties through 13 fire stations. The agency's service population exceeds 206,000 residents with responsibility for more than $45 billion worth of property.
The comprehensive training approach ensures crews can handle medical emergencies involving trauma while maintaining safety protocols and patient dignity across diverse community needs. Skills practiced during the training directly support PFA's role as an all-hazards response agency handling structure fires, medical emergencies, and wildfire incidents throughout the region.
For more information about PFA's training programs or emergency services, residents can contact the agency through their website or social media channels.