Applications Now Being Accepted for Citizens Fire Academy
August 17, 2015
GREENVILLE, SC – The Greenville City Fire Department (GCFD) is now accepting applications for its annual Citizens Fire Academy. This will be the third year of GCFD’s free seven-week program, which is open to anyone age 18 and older. The Citizens Fire Academy offers a unique opportunity for citizens who live and work in Greenville to learn firsthand what it’s like to be a firefighter. In addition to touring the City’s fire stations and dispatch center, and meeting firefighters and 911 personnel, participants will also have a variety of hands-on learning opportunities, including wearing personal protective equipment, experiencing a fire simulation, extinguishing a fire and using the “jaws of life.”
According to Brian Horton, GCFD’s chief of training, another valuable benefit of attending the academy is the chance to learn CPR and basic first aid from local first responders, at no cost. “Participants from our first two classes have told us that while they learned a lot from the classroom sessions, it was the hands-on opportunities that made the most lasting impressions,” said Horton. “We’ve designed the academy to be an educational and empowering experience for our citizens, and in addition to gaining an appreciation for what it’s like to be a firefighter, we hope that they’ll also discover what a critical role they can play in helping us prevent fires in the first place.”
Classes will be held on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. from October 1 through November 12 at the department’s training facility, located at 688 Mauldin Road. Drinks and snacks will be provided. The class schedule is below and the application is available at http://www.greenvillesc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4885. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, September 21.
Oct. 1 – History/Organizational Structure
Oct. 8 – Dispatch/911 Communications
Oct. 15 – CPR/Basic First Aid
Oct. 22 – Personal Protective Equipment/Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
Oct. 29 – Vehicle Extraction/Aerial Operations
Nov. 5 – Fire Behavior/Fire Extinguishers
Nov. 12 – Graduation
