Representative Ghanbari Dons Fire Fighting Equipment, Completes Fire Ops 101 for State Legislators

COLUMBUS — State Representative Haraz N. Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) completed the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters (OAPFF) Fire Ops 101 training Monday at the state fire academy. Designed in coordination with the Division of the State Fire Marshal and the Ohio Fire Academy, Fire Ops 101 provides elected and appointed officials, as well as the media, an opportunity to listen and learn about the challenges facing the fire service across the state.

“Firefighters are serving in our communities 24/7, and at times our only interaction is when they are responding in our time of need,” said Rep. Ghanbari. “This familiarization underscores the importance of working collaboratively through bipartisan legislation to ensure our fire services are adequately trained, funded, and equipped in order to fulfill their mission.”

Conducted at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg, Fire Ops 101 provides hands-on familiarization of search and rescue operations, ladder operations, vehicle extrications, emergency medical services, and culminates in a live-fire exercise. The scenarios are designed to be similar to training experiences firefighters must complete throughout the academy, as well as normal day-to-day calls for service they respond to in their communities.

“Fire Ops 101 gave me a greater appreciation of the sacrifices our firefighters make on a daily basis,” said Rep. Ghanbari. “The women and men of our fire services deserve our unwavering support. Simply put, they risk their lives daily and well past retirement often live with the vivid memories of the traumatic events they were exposed to throughout their careers. I was grateful to spend a day listening and learning from some of the best firefighters in the nation.”