Avoiding acadamies

[DennisTheMenace]

Does anyone's department NOT require new hires below the Chief level to go through at least a familurization at the department academy regardless of experiance?

[DennisTheMenace]

Oh yeah, I am not looking to avoid anything myself, just curious. ;)

[fieldseng2]

Regardless of experience here....there is no academy. It is state law that you complete 24 hrs of training before you ride a rig. Which is a joke because most of the time they show a 20 minute video and send you on your way.

We tried to initiate a traing academy in the early 90's, but the chief thought it was a waste of time so after 2 classes (6 weeks each)he stopped them.

fieldseng2

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by fieldseng2
Regardless of experience here....there is no academy. It is state law that you complete 24 hrs of training before you ride a rig. Which is a joke because most of the time they show a 20 minute video and send you on your way.

We tried to initiate a traing academy in the early 90's, but the chief thought it was a waste of time so after 2 classes (6 weeks each)he stopped them.

fieldseng2 Is that vollie or career?

[fieldseng2]

Sorry, should have mentioned that...100% career.

fieldseng2

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by fieldseng2
Sorry, should have mentioned that...100% career.

fieldseng2 WOW! No training in a career department!:eek:

[fieldseng2]

Ya,

You would think after 1 LODD (1995) and 3 guys nearly getting killed last year they would think a little harder on that one. We have been cited by OSHA both times and training was always an issue. HQ keeps saying 'the next time we'll set up a recruit class'. But their idea of that is 2 weeks of training. How can you teach anyone how to be a firefighter in 2 weeks? I can see, MAYBE, someone with X amount of experience coming on the job and getting orientation for our dept. But how would you really know how much and the quality of training this person has?

Thankfully, some of us take it upon ourselves to get training and knowledge on our own by attending fire schools and the like on our own time. Once in a while, the dept. will pay for stuff like that.


That is just 1 of a million reasons why we keep losing guys to to other depts. I'm 'shopping' around myself. Hopefully, with the Grace of God I'll be on my dream job by the end of the year.

fieldseng2

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by fieldseng2
Ya,

You would think after 1 LODD (1995) and 3 guys nearly getting killed last year they would think a little harder on that one. We have been cited by OSHA both times and training was always an issue. HQ keeps saying 'the next time we'll set up a recruit class'. But their idea of that is 2 weeks of training. How can you teach anyone how to be a firefighter in 2 weeks? I can see, MAYBE, someone with X amount of experience coming on the job and getting orientation for our dept. But how would you really know how much and the quality of training this person has?

Thankfully, some of us take it upon ourselves to get training and knowledge on our own by attending fire schools and the like on our own time. Once in a while, the dept. will pay for stuff like that.


That is just 1 of a million reasons why we keep losing guys to to other depts. I'm 'shopping' around myself. Hopefully, with the Grace of God I'll be on my dream job by the end of the year.

fieldseng2 That is crazy, so I would expect that going anywhere else you would WANT to go through their academy/rookie school huh?

[fieldseng2]

I'm actually looking forward to it......

I think it should be part of the whole experience of a FF's career. I'm willing to bet a pay check if we had a rigorous recruit training program we would have weeded out a lot of the dead weight here.

We have a probie in our house right now. He has no firefighting experience, but very eager to learn. All his training has been ojt. He wasn't even shown how to put a SCBA on until he came to work w/us...My LT gave me total responsibility of him @ fires! The older guys love to pass the buck..especially when it comes to training. Our 'training officer' while trying to do his best...has never really been in a real fire!

When I was a volly (about 14-15 yrs ago), they did put us through an 'academy'. It was basically FF I/II. I felt pretty lucky to have that under my belt before coming here. I took my oath here on a Thursday. The very next day I was driving the rig to emergencies!

Our current chief is allgedly retiring this year. One of his possible successors has intentions of implementing an academy as well as more strucured training regiment for the rest of us. I know he wouldnt be the savior of the department, but he has the best vision of our future than the rest of the likely replacements.

fieldseng2

[ffbasic850]

In Northern Ohio most departments I have worked with don't have training academies. Some host or teach the state FF Certification classes. Ohio has three levels(generaly: volunteer, paid part-time, career). Most places have probationary training for three months to a year for part-timers with or with out experience. I have seen up to two years probationary for Full-timers. Most departments have required training. Some have just monthly drills. One department that is career and part-time, requires two hours training for each station crew every day(Only Mothers day and Christmas off).

[turkyman]

In Central Jersey (Middlesex County), all recruits as far as I know are required to have a Firefighter I certification, whether volunteer or career. I have taken classes at the fire academy alongside career FFs from area departments. In NJ, the requirements are being re-written to make a standard FF I certification throughout the state. I believe the class is up to 154 hours of training now. When I attended 7 years ago, it was still 120, which was higher than most other counties in the state.

I find it appalling that a department does not require a recruit to attend an approved fire academy and obtain a minimum of Firefighter I, especially after numerous OSHA fines. I don't care how much they paid, I would not want to work for that company, both because of my own safety as well as the probable incompetency of the other members.

[DennisTheMenace]

I was mostly inquireing about folks that were coming from other departments in to a new one, presumably with the new departments minimum certs already aquired. Say leaving LAFD to LA County or say FDNY to ChicagoFD. Is there anywhere that a career Captain is going to be able to be hired by a new department without going through their academy?

[liquid51]

Most cities in my surrounding area won't hire unless your FFI+II/paramedic. We have one vol. department that doesn't run medicals (at least that's the only one that I know of). Detroit however puts you through it's own academy, whether you just recieved FFI+II from the academy or not.
I'm currently at Oakland Fire Academy myself and a large number of my instructors are on the interview boards. That, and the oportunity to run the c-pat at the beggining of our class so we know what to expect, makes attending academy up here a no brainer. If you do manage to sign on with a department, they're gonna send you to Oakland before you even put foot on a rig.
From what I've seen so far, MI seems to be a pretty progressive state. I'm still fighting with whether I should stay up here or move back home to FL though. But, the only experience I have is 3 weeks of academy, so what do I know? :rolleyes:

[nofd836]

Liquid

I will tell you this as coming from MI as a FFI if you come down to fl, which I just did FL does not recognize it. You will have to retake it. I am finding that out now. lol good luck

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by nofd836
Liquid

I will tell you this as coming from MI as a FFI if you come down to fl, which I just did FL does not recognize it. You will have to retake it. I am finding that out now. lol good luck Pro-Board does not help?