4 Members of the Rhode Island Southern Firefighter's League provided driver training for members of the Charlestown Ambulance Rescue Service, the Dunn's Corners Fire Department, and the Town of South Kingstown Emergency Medical Services Agency on Sunday June 9 in Ninigret Park. Charlestown recently purchased a new International ambulance and asked the League's driver trainers to provide their drivers with the cone course. The 8 station course is set up to simulate a straight away forward and reverse, a three point turn, an alley dock similar to backing into the station's apparatus bay, a serpentine, an offset driveway, a parallel parking station, and a diminishing clearance way. In total 37 students drove through the course.

Last year 5 League members attended a 2 day train the trainer course at the University of Rhode Island put on my our insurance provider, VFIS to become certified to administer the program. Since then, the League's instructors have conducted several courses for member departments of the Southern League putting nearly 100 drivers through the program thus far.

Special thanks to the instructors for taking time out of their busy Sunday to provide the training. Including Misquamicut Deputy Chief Steve Howard, Union Fire District Battalion Chief Keith Maine, Hope Valley Fire Captain Patrick Hawkins, and Watch Hill Lieutenant Chris Koretski. Thank you also to the Watch Hill and Hope Valley Fire Departments for allowing us to use their cones for the course.

If any department wishes the league to set up the cone course for their department, please contact the League President or Secretary for more information. We appreciate Chief Andrew Kettle from Charlestown Rescue and Chief Craig Stanley from SKEMS for inviting us to spend the day with them!