News & Announcements

The Oxford Fire Department, in conjunction with the Alabama Fire College, have begun their annual six-week Firefighter Bridge Program allowing certified volunteer firefighters to complete an abridged recruit school and become state certified firefighters ready for a career in the fire service.

The class is being led by OFD Firefighter Adam Johnson and OFD Capt. Brandon Slick, who are both graduates of the Bridge program.

Slick is also the OFD training officer and serves as a Bridge instructor each time the program is held in Oxford.

“We started with nine, but had two withdraw,” Slick said. “This is something that is not for everyone, but we do appreciate the willingness to try.”

“It’s important we find out early about the trainees as opposed to experiencing some incident during a live fire,” Anderson said. “The good news is we  aren’t going to ask them to do anything we haven’t already done.”

The course consists of a combination of classroom study, drill field practice, and training that prepares the firefighters to perform the most fire ground functions under the supervision of an officer or experienced firefighter.

The classes are being held at OFD’s Lynn Elliott Fire Station and Training Center, located at 2022 Highway 78 West.