Training weekend in memory of Butler County firefighter draws more than 300 participants in 4th year

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Jimmy Ellis Training Weekend started in 2023, a year after Ellis died from complications with COVID-19. He was only 49 years old.

“He was ‘the’ fireman. Jimmy was ‘the’ fireman,” said Dave Moore, vice president of the Jimmy Ellis Firefighter Foundation.

Ellis was a 32-year veteran volunteer firefighter, vice president of the Adams Area Fire District, and career firefighter for the city of Pittsburgh. He was also a renowned firefighter trainer and spoke at many of these types of trainings, like the one now named in his honor.

“He was a nationwide fire instructor, a well-respected fire captain in the city of Pittsburgh, and we wanted to continue his legacy,” Moore said.

When the Jimmy Ellis Training Weekend started, there were just 60 participants.

Now, for its fourth year, they have nearly 330 firefighters from 16 states, and even Canada.

While Friday was a day full of lectures and seminars, this weekend is all hands-on training. There are five homes in Cranberry that the township has scheduled to tear down that these firefighters will train in this weekend.

“Starting tomorrow morning, we will go into our hands-on sessions. So, we have firefighters going from this facility out to 12 different sites across Butler and Allegheny County,” Moore said. “They’ll participate in several classes. We have truck classes, engine classes, and rapid intervention classes. There’s vehicle extrication classes, rope rescue classes. They’ll take part in all those classes tomorrow and on Sunday.”

That hands-on training this weekend could help someone who lives in these firefighters’ hometowns in a life-or-death situation, especially in a time when fire stations nationwide struggle with manpower.

“So, one of the classes we’re doing is short-staffed engine company stuff,” Moore said. “So short-staffed fire trucks coming to your fire that’s going to literally train those folks how to respond when they don’t have all the personnel they need for that situation.”

Organizers hope to continue to grow this training for years to come.

“I know Jimmy would’ve been proud of it,” Moore said.

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