Accelerated Daytime Firefighter 1 Class-WCFTC

[x635 4,066]

From the WCDES Training Division:

FIREFIGHTER – I PROGRAM

10 classes, totaling 78 hours, Meeting from on the following dates:

Tues-Sat., July 6-10 from 8 am to 5 pm

Mon. Fri., July 19-23 from 8 am to 5 pm

NYS Firefighter-I utilizes the IFSTA Essentials of Firefighting, Fourth Edition curriculum to accomplish the objectives of NFPA 1001.  The program also uses segments of the NYS Mask Confidence and Firefighter Survival courses to enhance the students’ abilities as a structural firefighter.  This part of the course will be incorporated as SCBA advanced skills.  Current NYS OFPC courses are also utilized to prepare the student to respond to hazardous material incidents by using Hazardous Materials First Responders Course and the Weapons of Mass Destruction – Awareness Course.  The student will also be trained to respect hazards associated with confined space incidents and controlling hazardous energy using segments of the Confined Space Awareness Course.  The course will be 78 hours in length.

Student Minimum / Maximums:  The minimum student class size will be no less than 10 students.  The maximum student class size will be NO MORE THAN 20 STUDENTS.  The maximum class size will be strictly enforced due to the skills and commitment of the students as well as the instructors.

Student Pre-requisites:  For Firefighter-I there will be no pre-requisites, this is an entry-level course.

Full PPE and SCBA will be required.  Registration is MANDATORY.

Walk-ins are NOT permitted.

Please contact your Chief or Training Officer who will sign you up online at our website at www.westchestergov.com/emergserv or submit a Firefighter/Student Registration form and authorize your attendance. All attendees must have written permission from their Chief.

Parking is in the lower field at the Police Academy adjacent to the Fire Training Center.  

If you have concerns about the possibility of course cancellation due to inclement weather,

please call 231-1615.

[hudson144 150]

the firefighter I course offered is a great course to take if you can afford to spend the time. throughout the nation the certifications of both ffI and ffII have been offered. here in ny it is finally here and is a great thing to have on a resume if you plan on doing this as a career. even if you don't do it as a career it is still a good thing to have. for some of you junior members here that want to do this as a career have an open mind. do not lock yourself into staying here in ny. many states are always hiring and by having the certs already done it may help out in the hiring process. I know of some depts. that are always hiring throughout the nation. I also have friends that work in alot of other departments in different states who have contacts or info pertaining to the hiring procedures. when i was younger the depts here in westchester as well as fdny were not hiring alot because of the fact that alot of veterans were hired in the mid to late 70s. if you want a job,keep an open mind and take anything you can to put on a resume! be safe

[TRUCK6018 50]

Just passing the state test doesn't mean your automatically nationally certified.

You would still have to take a nationally exam in addition to the class exam.

[hudson144 150]

Ispoke to an instructor today and he stated that the test is a nationally cert test? anyone else have info on this?

[CHIEFPHIL 90]

Although I'm just over the line in CT. I have some general info on a matter like this. If the class meets NFPA standard 1001, then the class would have reciprocity in all states but california and florida and the federal service. Usually if the class meets the criteria, then you can apply to the National Proffesional Qualification Board at NFPA and for a small fee have a National certificate issued. As of right now there is no national testing. Each state makes up their own testing based on the standard. In Ct it is both a written and a practical skills exam. If you fail the practical you cannot take the written and then have up to 12 months to pass the test or retake the entire class. California and Florida have there own academy and you must attend those and be certified before you can get appointed. If the class is following the 4th edition curriculam, then it is the curriculam that is followed today.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

From what I was told at my firefighter series train the trainer, once you pass the test of the course you then qualify to take the national certification test. The test is based on the national cert test the way I took it. I will get more info over the next couple of days and let you know. I don't think NY has gotten approval from the national standards board for their course alone.

[BFD1054 1,552]

Anyone hear more about this class, i had heard that it was closed out rather quicly? We have a few probies in our department that were interested in this class. If anyone knows for sure if it is cancelled or not, or if the county plans on doing another accelerated course, please post the info!

Thanks, Mike

[TRUCK6018 50]

There was a two week accelerated class that started last week and finishes this week.

According the WCDES website, there is also another two week class in July. As with most of the FFI courses given, they are filled quickly.

One recommendation given by CC2 is to sign up for DES mailing list: http://list.westchestergov.com/listsubscri...mssubscribe.asp, Then hound your chief to sign you up and don't give up untill the chief gets a confirmed email from DES.

[BFD1054 1,552]

Thanks TRUCK6018 for the info, i'll definately look into that! I too have heard that being on the DES mailing list is a good idea, so i think i'll have to try that out myself! We have a couple probies that joined who are either in college or will be attending college come fall. This makes it very hard for them to find a class and unfortunately for them, the FF-I program is a minimum to be interior qualified, not to mention a pre-requisit for most other classes. And even more unfortunate is that these young guys usually come home on weekends or during breaks and we really could use them, thus getting them into the FF-I program is essential! So again, thank you for the info, i will definately look into the upcoming FF-I course as well as signing up for the DES mailing list!

Thanks,

Mike

[HFD23 37]

while were on this topic i think these classes that are condensed are gret to get them done quick for those whose scheduals it fits, how every, with FF1 the new class being the new interior FF standard, do u feel that a new department member who gets into a class rite away and with in the 1st month is interior certified is a good idea? i don;t think a 2 week course is enough to give u the knowledge u need, that comes form weeks and months and mroe of trainin with ur own department, given one will learn alot in this new class, i think they need more time with theri own departments before being signed off a** interior FF;s

[57crew 1]

HFD211 i agree with you. As my instructor said when i took esentials, "this class gives you the certification to be a interior firefighter, it doesn't mean you are ready/able to be one. You will learn more from you department trainings, going out on calls, and other members then from this class."

[Guest alsfirefighter]

As an experienced instructor, firefighter and ex-line officer. I often say I would take someone out of the class, with 1 month in the fire service into a burning building before someone who has the class and has 2 years with a dept. Why? For one, they don't have many bad habits, they are often safety conscious, less likely to free lance because they don't have the mindset other then the task they are doing, and again they don't pick up bad habits often taught at drills by person not utilizing a lesson plan and/or with the knowledge base as an instructor or on the material to effectively keep them fresh.

The FF Series certainly was better then the amount of "firefighters" that were being allowed to operate as interior FF's with only Basic Firefighter.

[HFD23 37]

i totally agree about the reasoning behind the bad habits, how ever, i still think its dangerious, in hartsdale to be interior certifed you used to need,10 hours of in house training, then basic, intermediate, and survival. and it often took 8 months or more to become interior, with us drilling every tuesday nite, now that it alot of drill time to familarize ones self with equipment, SOP's, and even basics like being confidant with a pack, and air management which takes time, that can;t be taught in 2 weeks, and given its a departments responsibility to train its men whihc is a on goin effort that never ends, i think an excelerated classs like that can do some damage by throwing some one who is cocky caz they been in the burn building and passed a class and did well, but its nothing like the real thing and many of the crazy things like collapse, wires in hallways and stuff that may hang one up on, cann't be truely simulated... even in mask confidence, while this lal helps its not totally real.. i just hope these new FF's at the end of the class still have a level of fear some what about the real thing, havening never been in a real fire before.