How firefighter training works Notes

Before you can become an active-duty firefighter, you need 600 hours of training.

a course of 12 to 14 weeks.
40-48 hours per week, which makes firefighter training a full-time job.
Training occurs at a fire academy, ran by the fire department, a division of the state government or a university.
Students study English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Fire Science in relation to real-life fire situations.

need to keep up good communication on the job.
Firefighters need to be well-rounded.


You need to;
be at least 18 years old (sometimes even 21)

high school diploma or equivalent.

some fire departments now require a college education.

be physically fit.

a clean criminal record.
corrected 20/20 vision.

To enter a training program, applicants take 3 exams.

written test, Candidate Physical Ability Test, and an aptitude test.
The written exam consists of around 100 multiple choice questions; covers spatial awareness, reading comprehension, mechanical resoning, logic, observation and memory.

Primary focus of the physical ability test is agility, upper body strength and endurance.

Unlikely an applicant who strains to complete the tasks will do 14 weeks of training.


Physical tests vary from academy to academy, but the common tasks are;
open and close a fire hydrant with a hydrant wrench, 17 turns each way.

climb and descend an aerial ladder set at 60 degrees up 50 feet.

carry a 12-foot ladder through an obstacle course.

perform an attict, or crawl space, crawl in full firefighter gear.

complete search and rescue drills.
drag a 2 inch hose charged with water 100 to 200 feet.
operate a 30 foot extension ladder, requiring pulling a rope with tension equivalent to lifting a 50 pound bag of cement.
Applicants run up and down stairs or stadiums.
They lift heavy sacks of sand by rope, or jog in multi level parking garages.


In order to survive;
firefighters must be able to think clearly and solve problems quickly, under extreme stress.
Training instructors will conduct live fire training drills to help the applicants think clearly under extreme stress during an actual fire; so they have the practice.
The instructors will purposely set buildings on fire to give the students opprotunities to develop the skills.
The clothes that firefighters need to wear can withstand temperatures up to 1,200 degrees.
They wear an SCBA, tracking on 30 pounds extra.
The crew that is in a burning building during training process will get down into a crawling position as they enter the burn area, making sure to keep the hose line between themselves and the flames.
As they approach the area they are about to attack, they take their positions on the line, one operation the nozzle, and the others supporting.
The instructor will give a go-ahead and the students open the nozzle to attack the flames.
Instructors command, the crew closes the nozzle positioned away from their bodies to avoid steam burns on exposed skin.
Nozzle operator moves to the back of the line, everyone else moves forward.
The crew repeats this process until everybody has had a chance at the nozzle.
When the fires out; the crew leaves the building quickly but safely.
They leave the nozzle operator and a back up crew member behind.
The two of them stay to make sure the fire doesn't come back.
When the fire's gone, they work together to retract the hose line from the structure.
Then they search for injuries.


Three types of burn buildings; traditional, acquired structures, and simulated structural fire buildings.


Site preparation begins; for training to begin; the process is;
inspectors approve the buildings structural integrity and make sure it's safe for training exercises.
a crew repairs unsafe conditions such as broken stairs and rotted floors for interior training.
remove fuel sources other than class a.
live fire training only involves ordinary combustibles, or class a fuels (fabric, wood, paper, and rubber).
crew member cuts a hole into the roof to channel convection currents out of the structure.
fuel sources burn, they produce gases.
convection happens when these gases move together, creating a wave of heat that moves upward.
the currents, if not given an outlet, can make the fire spread or build up, causing a spontaneous explosion called a backdraft.
score chimneys near their bases to ensure they fall when the structure collapses.
instructor identifies positions on the site for the instructors and emergency medical personnel to safely observe.
the site is ready for training to begin.

Volunteers; same guidelines & requirements that career firefighters do.

Standard ranks go;
Firefighter
Engineer
Lieutenant
Captain
Battalion Chief
Deputy Chief
Assistant Chief
Chief