online fire academy

[akflightmedic]

If you are seriously moving to Florida, you are wasting your time doing fire academy in any other state.

Go to firehouse.com, there are tons of threads dedicated to this very topic concerning Florida. Florida does not hand out reciprocity. There is a challenge process but it is very difficult and very rare that someone completes it.

FL Fire Academy is 450 clock hours, it is 6 months part time or 3 months full time. It is run like a boot camp at most places and there are long waiting lists to get in.

[congomedic]

If you are seriously moving to Florida, you are wasting your time doing fire academy in any other state.

Go to firehouse.com, there are tons of threads dedicated to this very topic concerning Florida. Florida does not hand out reciprocity. There is a challenge process but it is very difficult and very rare that someone completes it.

FL Fire Academy is 450 clock hours, it is 6 months part time or 3 months full time. It is run like a boot camp at most places and there are long waiting lists to get in.

I appreciate the advice and will take your word however to say "hand out reciprocity" makes it sound kinda wishy washy.But online or not you still have to do the rigors.They're not giving the cert to you.Its still a pass/fail. And also there in Florida even if you do fire academy at Miami Dade college taught by part time Miami Dade Fire Rescue firefighters and others and you are recruited by Miami Dade Fire Rescue upon completion, you still have to do part of the Countys academy. Every other department I know down South has their own few weeks of fire training even if you came out of the Fire Academy the day before.

I'm sorry but I dont see the difference. I think its tape.

[FireMedic65]

Forgive the ignorance... but is there even an online fire academy? How could that be accomplished?

[JakeEMTP]

Forgive the ignorance... but is there even an online fire academy? How could that be accomplished?

I'm in the midst of a hybrid fire course. It has all the didactic on-line and once a month skills are evaluated over 2 days. By no means is it an academy. It simply allows one to obtain their FF1 & FF2 certifications. I suppose if I wanted to work for a FD it might help me, but I would still have to go through their academy.

I'm just doing it for shits and giggles.

Edited February 26, 2011 by JakeEMTP

[usalsfyre]

Texas doesn't have "Fire 1&2" per say. Texas Commission on Fire Protection issues a Structural Basic certificate upon completing the IFSAC Firefighter 1&2 curriculum, HazMat Awareness and Operations and Texas DSHS ECA or higher and passing the state certification exam.

What the online academies do is issue course completion certificates saying you have completed a curriculum that meets IFSAC and ProBoard requirements for the above courses (with the exception of ECA). It is NOT a certification, but will allow you to sit for the TCFP exam. Whether your state, or agency, will accept it or not is up to that certifying body.

The online academies have a mixed reputation here, some thinking they're the best thing since sliced bread, others demonizing them. I don't think they're "the end of firefighting", but I have seen more people struggle both completing them and post-completion than the conventional route.

From what I've heard trying to get a firemedic job in FL is pretty much a waste of time period.

Edited February 27, 2011 by usalsfyre

[FireMedic65]

I'm in the midst of a hybrid fire course. It has all the didactic on-line and once a month skills are evaluated over 2 days. By no means is it an academy. It simply allows one to obtain their FF1 & FF2 certifications. I suppose if I wanted to work for a FD it might help me, but I would still have to go through their academy.

I'm just doing it for shits and giggles.

Oh ok.. that makes sense then got a link?

[JakeEMTP]

Oh ok.. that makes sense then got a link?

Here is the sylabus listing the classes required.

http://distance.lenoircc.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=152165

Here is a link with a description of the course. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer to much information.

http://www.lenoircc.edu/Continuing_Education/firefighterclasses/ff.starttofinish.pdf

[FireMedic65]

First link doesn't work, it wants me to login.

I like the idea though. Many people are more then capable of learning things on their own. A course like that would allow people who have jobs to learn at their own pace essentially. If they need help they can get it.

When I originally took my FF1 and FF2 it was an application with a few requirements. You needed to go through an essentials of firefighting course, a structural burn, hazmat r&i and I think cpr. For FF2 you needed FF1 and haz-mat ops. You didn't need any formal instruction or classes to take the exams. The written tests weren't that bad, basically right from the book. If you read them, you were fine. The practicals weren't too bad either. You just had to pay attention to follow the instructions to the letter. You would get failed for simple mistakes.

[JakeEMTP]

First link doesn't work, it wants me to login.

I like the idea though. Many people are more then capable of learning things on their own. A course like that would allow people who have jobs to learn at their own pace essentially. If they need help they can get it.

When I originally took my FF1 and FF2 it was an application with a few requirements. You needed to go through an essentials of firefighting course, a structural burn, hazmat r&i and I think cpr. For FF2 you needed FF1 and haz-mat ops. You didn't need any formal instruction or classes to take the exams. The written tests weren't that bad, basically right from the book. If you read them, you were fine. The practicals weren't too bad either. You just had to pay attention to follow the instructions to the letter. You would get failed for simple mistakes.

Sorry about that, I will try something else. So far, I haven't had any difficulty with any of the classes. As you say, it is purely an introduction to the fire service. It gives one a basis as to what is going on during a fire. As with anything, practical experience is needed but this is a foundation so you don't look and act like a total dork on scene. Basically, I just took the class because we work with several volly FD's. They have one paid FF to roll with the apparatus, and the remainder of the guys/gals go to the scene. On several occasions we have arrived before a full fire crew has. At least we can start putting the wet stuff on the red stuff! Well, this will have to do. My 'puter skills must be lacking as this was the only way I could post it.

Firefighter I & II Begin

Online Component End

Online Component Onsite Date

Practical’s and Testing

FD Orientation & Safety 1/10/2011 2/3/2011 2/5/2011

Portable Fire Extinguishers 1/10/2011 2/3/2011 2/5/2011

Salvage 1/10/2011 2/3/2011 2/5/2011

Fire Alarms & Communications 2/7/2011 3/3/2011 3/5/2011

Ladders 2/7/2011 3/3/2011 3/5/2011

Foam Fire Streams 2/7/2011 3/3/2011 3/5/2011

Fire Behavior 3/7/2011 3/31/2011 4/2/2011

Overhaul 3/7/2011 3/31/2011 4/2/2011

Personal Protective Equipment 3/7/2011 3/31/2011 4/2/2011

Forcible Entry 4/4/2011 5/5/2011 5/7/2011

Ventilation 4/4/2011 5/5/2011 5/7/2011

Ropes 5/2/2011 6/2/2011 6/4/2011

Fire Hose, Streams, & Appliances 5/2/2011 6/2/2011 6/4/2011

Emergency Medical Care 6/6/2011 6/23/2011 6/26/2011

Rescue 6/6/2011 6/23/2011 6/26/2011

Water Supplies 7/4/2011 8/4/2011 8/6/2011

Sprinklers 7/4/2011 8/4/2011 8/6/2011

Fire Prevention & Education 8/1/2011 9/8/2011 9/10/2011

Building Construction 8/1/2011 9/8/2011 9/10/2011

HazMat Level One Responder 9/5/2011 9/29/2011 10/1/2011

Fire Control 10/3/2011 11/3/2011 11/5/2011

[FireMedic65]

yeah that sounds about right. I was curious of their setup so I could maybe adopt some of it for our junior firefighters and new members, maybe even some of the old members. The normal run of the mill "training" night is not sufficient in my opinion. Volunteers need to be trained and knowledgeable just as much as the paid guys.

Make some printouts, give them simple homework, go over stuff during training nights, etc etc... we will see.

thanks