In Pearl, Tennessee, the elected officials don’t just fund the fire academy, they actually join them. They don’t just talk the talk they actually walk the walk. It’s quite easy to make budget considerations and decisions when the academy is just another bureaucratic decision, it’s a whole different matter when the officials actually participate in the fire academy training and exercises. Hernando Alderman is an elceted official in Pearl, Tennesee, and Mr. Alderman participated in the annual fire academy exercises for elected officials. What made the feat so amazing is the fact …

If you’ve ever washed your car in the driveway and got smacked by an unruly garden hose, you know it’s not the most pleasant feeling.
 
Now imagine wearing 60 pounds of gear and toting a fully-pressurized 3-inch fire hose — weighing about 300 pounds per 100 feet — up a ladder to the roof of a 1½-story building to douse a fire.
 
“Takes teamwork,” said Brian Drerup, the Rockford Fire Department’s training coordinator.
 
He stood on top of the roof of a training structure Wednesday at the Station 6 training academy, 3329 W. …

Jordan Chapman, 19, of Barrow, and Mark Gibson, 20, of Millom, are two of the eight apprentices who are starting out with Cumbria County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service.
Some 260 applicants applied for the scheme, which will give 18 to 24-year-olds the chance to work towards an Advanced Apprenticeship NVQ Level three diploma in emergency fire service operations.
During the two years they will experience a wide range of duties across the fire and rescue service, including conducting home fire safety visits and attending emergency incidents.
Towards the end of the two …

Five new recruits at the Merritt Fire Rescue Department are sweating through drills similar to what would be seen at a boot camp.
This intense training is designed to improve the ability of the firefighters to respond to blazes and other emergencies quickly and efficiently.
Work experience firefighter Matt Bloom is a long way from his home town of Aurora, Ont., but he said the Nicola Valley is as good a place as any to build his skills.
 
The summer heat has made some of the training activities difficult, but his uniform donning …

Several fire academy cadets with the Yuma Fire Department got to practice conducting swiftwater rescues Monday in the rough waters of the East Main Canal.
According to Mike Erfert, YFD spokesman, the training was intended to give the cadets real-world experience with the equipment and techniques they would use when responding to an actual emergency.
“We have specially trained personnel for swiftwater rescues. But as a member of an engine company, a newly assigned firefighter could be called to participate in a water rescue. Because of that, they need to be familiar …

It’s no secret that firefighting is a physically demanding job where fitness plays an important role. Words such as ”occupational athlete” or “tactical athlete” are used by many fitness professionals when discussing the type of physical training needed for job performance. Yet, most do not realize that firefighters are not athletes; they are firefighters, and that means they come in all different shapes, sizes, and abilities. What is even more important is to understand where they are in their career.
Many people today are trying to create simple solutions to a difficult problem. What is …

Firemen casualties and injuries are a national plague – and on the rise. Psychologists find that the reaction time of firefighters are severely lacking and needs to be sharpened and honed.  A retired Fire Chief proposes changes to the training system that can hopefully reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities.
 
FRI Preview: Survivors and High Reliability Organizations
Fire Chief (blog)
“I’ve been unable to find a study that compared firefighter responses to emergencies to the responses of a “control” population (note to the National Fire Academy — what a great EFO paper …

The National Fire Academy is the best of the best when it comes to training fire fighters.  They are now offering a new course called Foundational Concepts of Chemistry.  There are many course requirements as far as other classes that must be successfully completed before signing up for the course.

National Fire Academy Adds New Chemistry Course to NFA Online …
(author unknown)
National Fire Academy Adds New Chemistry Course to NFA Online Contact: …groups.google.com/group/…/browse…/18797cb705d35a34″
http://groups.google.com/group/tennesseefireservice/browse_thread/thread/18797cb705d35a34
 
Since Fire Fighting is basically all chemistry, this is a great class to consider taking.  This course is an …