Accidents caused by fire are some of the most horrific incidence one
would never wish to witness and thus having a highly trained and efficient
firefighter is of great advantage to the members of the public. For a city or
collage to have a good fire rescue team it requires to invest heavily on the
training of the fire fighter and to develop a training curriculum which fit
their needs. Firefighter training requires one to meet some qualification e.g.
high school diploma and to some extent collage education on fire science. The
training program for this noble task requires the applicants take three exams:
aptitude test a written test, and Physical Ability Test (CPAT).
The principal emphasis of the physical ability test is swiftness,
survival and upper body strength. Every assignment is timed and tests the
applicant's capability to tolerate sustained physical activity. These kind of
tasks are insightful of what applicant should do in the training college
throughout their training day in and out. The firefighter training is tedious and
thus the applicant’s ability to overcome his own personal challenge shows his
ability to overcome the heavy tasks ahead of him. It's improbable that an
applicant who struggle to complete the tasks will survive 14- 18 weeks of
firefighter training, and so is a robust indicator of imminent success.
Firefighter training covers directive in chain-of-command protocols, fire suppression techniques, fire prevention, hazardous materials control and CPR. Owing to simulation exercises and additional hands-on training, trainees become acquainted with how to use and maneuver fire extinguishers, fire engines, ladders, axes, hoses, and many other firefighting equipment. Training additionally covers subjects such as breathing apparatuses, personal protective equipment, fire investigation, wildland fires, combating forest fires and rescue mission operations. Once one has finished training he/she has to pass several test both written and oral before being assigned duties on internship basis until he/she has attained an experience 18 months in firefighting.
Fire fighters are always the first to arrive at an emergency scene and with that in mind some agency, state co-corporation and cities are integrating emergency medical technician (EMT) training into their firefightrer training collages and therefore some collages require on to have a certificate in EMT prior to being recruited to join firefighting collages or academies. It is evident that fire accidents are inevitable and that is the reason why some collages have stated bachelor’s degree in fire science to provide a coursework in fire prevention and protection. It equips the students with knowledge in policy integration, management skills and legal aspects, human resources, causes and major sources of fire accidents.