VFAO

10/21/2026

Build your skills. Be prepared to respond.

Kiamichi Tech is offering Hose Loads & Deployment for Initial Attack (HOT), a hands-on training designed specifically for volunteer firefighters.

Firefighters will work on selecting, loading and deploying attack lines, common hose loads and deployment techniques, nozzle handling and hose management, quickly establishing an attack line from the apparatus, and advancing attack lines for an effective initial fire attack.

Join us on Saturday, November 14th for this FREE hands-on course.

Registration is open! https://trst.in/SdoLZc
For more information or questions, call 918-426-0940.

10/18/2026

NEW TODAY: The bill increases the state's tax credit from $200 to $800 and will increase from $400 to $1,600 for married couples.
https://tinyurl.com/5ccfykmx

10/18/2026

10/17/2026

Seven Posey County, Indiana volunteer departments: Black Township Fire & Rescue, Griffin-Bethel, Marrs Township, New Harmony, Point Township, Poseyville, and Smith Township… are proposing to create a countywide fire district. The county’s departments handled about 2,150 incidents across 419 square miles in 2025, but staffing shortages have left some unable to respond to every call. The proposed system would keep local stations and volunteers while placing 14 full-time firefighters at six locations: three each in Poseyville and Black Township, two in New Harmony, two in Wadesville, and two at each of Marrs Township’s stations.

Six part-time firefighters would help cover daytime gaps, particularly in Smith Township, Griffin, and Point Township. The plan envisions a phased rollout starting in 2028, with further expansion through 2032, funded through a shared fire-protection tax and a proposed local income tax. It has not been approved, and final participation remains unsettled; Wadesville-Center Township has opposed joining, despite Wadesville being listed as a proposed full-time staffing location.

10/17/2026

GVWR is a rating the manufacturer assigns, not a scale reading.

A truck can sit under GVWR and still be over on one axle.

The numbers that matter when you buy:

🔹 Water: 8.34 lb a gallon. A 1,000-gallon tank adds 8,340 lb.
🔹 Single rear axle, T-shaped tank: 1,500 gallons, no more.
🔹 Side-to-side tire load: 7% variation max per axle.
🔹 Emergency vehicle gross floor: 86,000 lb. A semi gets 80,000.

A federal weight floor does not move a posted county bridge.

Ask a seller for three things. The GVWR, each axle rating, and a loaded scale weight by wheel position.

📖 Weights by apparatus class, axle by axle:
https://firetruck.center/fire-truck-weight/

Which of the three do you ask for first?

10/16/2026

🚑 WINTER 2026 AEMT COURSE — NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS! 💙

Ready to take the next step in your EMS career? The Winter 2026 Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) Course is coming up! Expand your skills, advance your knowledge, and make an even greater impact in your community.

📅 Important Dates:
🔹 November 1 – Scholarship application deadline
🔹 November 7 – Scholarship recipients notified
🔹 November 9 – General registration deadline
🔹 November 10 – Course communication begins
🔹 November 19 – Full tuition payment due
🔹 November 29 at 7 PM CST – Mandatory student orientation via Zoom
💲 Tuition: $1,350
📍 Skills sessions will take place at participating EMS, fire, and training sites throughout Oklahoma.

✨ SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ✨

We are proud to offer the scholarship opportunities, but there will be space available for students paying tuition out-of-pocket to help all students pursue EMS Education and serve their communities.

These scholarships are made possible through two funding sources:

🚑 Rural EMS Access to Critical Training (R.E.A.C.T.)
Supported by grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this initiative helps expand access to EMS education and training in rural communities.

🚑 Oklahoma Emergency Response Systems Stabilization and Improvement Revolving Fund (OERSSIRF)
Administered by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, this fund supports efforts to strengthen and improve Oklahoma’s emergency medical services system, including expanding access to training for frontline EMS personnel. Through this funding, Heartland Education helps reduce financial barriers to EMS education and build a stronger workforce for Oklahoma communities.

🎓 Interested in applying for a scholarship? Please read carefully!

To register for and/or apply for a scholarship, please submit the form and check the scholarship box to view the scholarship application questions.

⚠️ Students applying for a scholarship MUST complete BOTH the registration and scholarship portions of the form. Incomplete scholarship submissions will not be accepted or considered.

👉 Complete the registration and/or scholarship form here: https://airtable.com/app7dKHCjUioXRgko/pagwIUmVYNSLu1FN6/form

Don't miss this opportunity to grow your skills and strengthen emergency medical services in your community!

10/13/2026

PSAP updates

The Authority will begin to take action in February 2027 for quarterly updates not uploaded from October 1 to December 31, 2026 in version 3.

10/12/2026

Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology has named Richard “Kelly” Reed director of OSU Fire Service Training.

10/10/2026

New Hartford volunteer firefighters may now have the chance to become partially tax exempt. LINK BELOW.

10/09/2026

🚒 Applications are now open for the 2027 Oklahoma Executive Fire Officer Leadership Program! 🚒

Are you ready to take the next step in your fire service leadership journey? The Oklahoma Executive Fire Officer Leadership Program is designed to help fire service leaders strengthen their leadership skills, develop their personal philosophy of leadership and ethics, and learn how to lead others effectively.

The 160- hour program is a partnership between OSU- Fire Service Training, the Oklahoma Fire Chiefs Association, the Oklahoma State Fire Marshals Office, and the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association.

📅 2027 Cohort Schedule February-May
📍 Lake Murray State Park
🎓 Graduation June 8th 2027
💲Tuition $1950.00
📝 Application Deadline December 1st, 2026

Applicants must Submit an application, resume, a 2-3 page letter explaining why they should be selected, a letter of commitment from their organization, and a letter of recommendation from the chief.

If you’re ready to invest in yourself and become a stronger leader for your department and the fire service we encourage you to apply.

👉 Visit www.osufst.org for the application and additional information.