CFD Volunteers Take Annual Refresher Trainings

Since the first of the year, members of CFD began taking their annual recertification / refresher classes.

Each year all active members are required to take refresher training in Hazardous Materials Operations, and Bloodborne Pathogens as required by OSHA and NFPA standards.

On Monday January 31st over 24 members attended Hazardous Materials Refresher class hosted by the Mattituck F.D. This 2 hour class taught by the Suffolk County Fire Academy updates firefighters on new changes and procedures when dealing with hazardous materials. The class also reviews common procedures and skills that firefighters have been taught in the operations class, such as the use of the Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Guidebook, and ways to properly identify hazardous materials in order to safely handle an emergency.

On Thursday February 16th over 80 firefighters from CFD and other North Fork Fire Departments gathered in Cutchogue, for annual Bloodborne Pathogens training. This course is designed to teach Fire and EMS workers about the potential dangers that they face when dealing with patients and bodily fluids that they may encounter during the course of their duties. The class reinforces the use of proper protection and universal precautions such and gloves during emergencies in order to minimize any potential exposures. The class covered different types of dangerous viruses and diseases that Emergency workers may face such as Hepatitis and HIV.

Over the next two months all 124 Volunteers of the Cutchogue Fire Department will be taking these required classes.

Thank you to all of the Volunteers for your continued commitment to not only your own safety, but the safety of the community.