Mastering the Rigs: Penn Forest Fire Personnel Focus on Driving and Pumping Readiness

Penn Forest TWP, PA - Understanding that the busy schedules of modern volunteer responders don't always align with traditional timetables, members of Penn Forest Township Volunteer Fire Company 2 took advantage of daylight hours on Monday to log critical, specialized hands-on training outside the department’s standard drill night.

On Monday, September 21, 2026, personnel gathered for a targeted operational session focused on fundamental apparatus operations. The flexible training window allowed firefighters who might otherwise miss evening drills to sharpen high-liability skills essential to everyday emergency responses.

The evolution focused heavily on three critical areas of fireground logistics: precision emergency vehicle driving, strategic apparatus positioning, and high-pressure pump operations. Drivers and operators practiced navigating the department's heavy apparatus, mastering placement strategies that protect roadway operations while maximizing hose stretches, and managing hydraulic pump panels to ensure reliable, uninterrupted water flows to fireground attack lines.

Department leadership noted that while structured training is traditionally held on Monday evenings, accommodating members' work and family obligations with alternate daytime drills ensures the entire volunteer roster maintains peak operational readiness when dispatched.