The school conducted through the North Dakota Firefighters Association began Thursday, Feb. 26, and runs through Sunday, March 1.

“It’s been growing for the last three years,” association president Shawn Weltikol of Devils Lake said of the annual event. “It’s been picking up in attendance. We’re looking at some other programs to try and even bump that up and shoot for somewhere around 1,000 in years to come.”

Around 200-250 fire departments from across the state are represented, according to the association. Weltikol said there were limited class offerings on the first day but for the remainder of the school, there’s more than 50 classes that participants can register to attend. On Sunday, a test site will be set up for those firefighters working on certifications.

This year, 37 firefighters will be tested. The school began offering certification testing a few years ago, and numbers have grown from two participants the first year, Weltikol said.

Jill Schramm/MDN Firefighters train on the use of extrication tools in the State Fair Center arena during a fire school in Minot Friday, Feb. 27.

Fire school activities are spread across the city, including the North Dakota State Fair Center, Clarion Hotel, Minot Rural and City of Minot fire stations and their training grounds.

In addition to the annual state school, the firefighters association conducts regional events and assists local departments in offering regular, ongoing training.

His Devils Lake Rural Fire Department runs two four-hour trainings a month in addition to weekend trainings, Weltikol said. The department also holds board and business meetings each once a month and may be responding to 30-40 calls monthly, he added.

“The time involved is huge,” said Weltikol, who noted volunteer fire departments struggle with recruiting. The struggle comes from the competition for people’s time, including competition from other worthwhile organizations, and because of the intensity of the commitment, he said.

“It’s demanding work,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that you have to do, you have to know.”

Jill Schramm/MDN Tommy Bonilla of White Shield, left, and Jerad Aasen of Minot, right, close down a ladder during a ladder training exercise at the North Dakota Firefighters Association’s fire school in Minot Friday, Feb. 27.