Australian firefighter Michael Yates, from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Department in Queensland Australia, has completed his four month fellowship with the Santa Monica Fire Department’s Training Division.
During his fellowship with the department, Yates was able to visit the Beverly Hills Fire Department, the Culver City Fire Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Anaheim Fire Department, and the Alameda County Fire Department.
In addition, he attended and observed a variety of U.S. Fire Service training activities, methods, processes, and courses.
His exposure to the different departments provided him with a comprehensive look at how the California Fire Service responds, trains, and prepares for the real incidents and other specialty operations such as hazmat operations.
His participation and exchange of ideas has developed new international relationships and provided some different perspectives to training approaches, training systems, and firefighter wellness specifically, life style changes associated physical fitness and smoking cessation.
Yates concluded his fellowship with the Santa Monica Fire Department on Aug. 27, 2014, and is now spending the next three weeks traveling the United States with his wife Anna and daughter Timithea.
The SMFD said they wanted to issue a special thank you to all the agencies that sponsored him and provided Yates with learning experiences and accommodations during his stay in California, these include the Los Angeles Fire Department, Culver City Fire Department, Beverly Hills Fire Department, Anaheim Fire Department, Alameda County Fire Department, Crown Plaza Hotel LAX and Ventura (Lori Skoll, Catering Sales Manager-LAX), and The Sovereign Hotel, Santa Monica.
