How much training is required to be a firefighter?

                                       

I was surprised to learn that the state of Virginia does not mandate or require our firefighters to have a certain amount of education or training before they put on their gear and answer the call of duty.  According to the Code of Virginia, section 27, the state is silent regarding training standard certifications for Virginia's fire service.  The career departments that hire full-time firefighters do have certain training requirements; they will put their members through a career academy consisting of over 200 hours of training or they will hire those firefighters that have already taken the Firefighter I & II course through fire programs or another accredited agency. 

For those fire stations that have volunteer firefighters, those localities set what training requirements their members must meet in order to volunteer.  This doesn’t mean that a volunteer firefighter is less adequate than a career firefighter to fight fires or respond to an emergency call.  Some departments in the state that consist of an all-volunteer system, those members generally don’t have the time to sit through 200 plus hours of training.

At the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, we provide multiple training courses for our career and volunteer firefighters across the state.  My first job with the agency was to process the training course paperwork.  I was able to attend regional schools and observe the different courses that we offered.  I have to say it was exciting.  You can learn how to cut off the roof and doors of cars to save a trapped victim in a vehicle, you can stabilize a hole during a confined space scenario, walk down the side of a three story building by a rope, stabilize a two ton piece of farm machinery equipment as if a farmer was trapped underneath, or you can learn the burn patterns of a burnt structure to determine if the fire was an accident or arson. 

 

One key factor firefighters learn is to manage their air supply in their air bottle, also known as their Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) (Phillips, 2005).  The rule of air management is to know how much air you have left in your SCBA and manage that amount to allow you plenty of time to escape to safety (Phillips, 2005).  The last thing you need is to run out of air inside of a burning building.

 
            Another safety element is carrying the proper tools with you depending on your part of the mission. Not having what you need before you enter a structure can be deadly.  There have been many cases where firefighters have been trapped in one room and had to use an ax or halligan tool to cut their way out of a potentially deadly situation (Phillips, 2005).
  

                                    

The goal is to be properly trained, enhance effectiveness, and eliminate as many variables as possible to keep our firefighters safe (Phillips, 2005).  Departments must train their members so they will be ready to handle different scenarios.  Knowledge is key, learn what is required if you are performing a search mission, performing ventilation, or working the hose to put water on the fire.  Practice with your fellow members to build confidence and enhance their skills.

 

Phillips, C. (2005, June) R.E.A.D.Y. Checks and the rule of air management.  Fire Engineering.  Vol 125.  Issue 6, p91-96, 4p.  Retrieved November 3, 2012, from Academic Search Complete database.