Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a firefighter? How cool it would be to use the ‘Jaws of Life’ and cut up a car? How about going into a burning building and rescuing a victim? This past weekend, 12 Naperville residents graduated from the Naperville Fire Department’s Citizen Fire Academy. And for nine weeks they did just that!
The mission of the Citizen Fire Academy is to create a well-informed cross section of the citizens from our community by describing the functions of the Naperville Fire Department (NFD). It acquaints the public through a series of classroom and hands on courses utilizing the resources and manpower of the NFD. It exposes the very nature of firefighting along with the danger and benefits it holds.
Topics covered include: NFD Orientation, Apparatus Orientation, Fire Behavior, Search and Rescue, Hose and Ladders, Air Pack training, Arson Investigation, Public Education, Auto Extrication, etc.
The Citizen Fire Academy is a program designed to give participants a working knowledge of the NFD. The program consists of brief classroom discussions, with a primary focus on hands-on exercises that may include a variety of physical activities including but not limited to standing, climbing, lifting, bending, crawling, etc.
All are welcome and no one is excluded based on physical limitations. Classes are held once a week, on Monday nights from 6PM until 9PM. The academy is conducted over a nine-week period. There is one academy a year and each one is limited to 18 students. There is no fee for anyone who enrolls. We are currently accepting applicants for the 2014 academy.
Through the implementation of the Citizen Fire Academy, the NFD offers its citizens insights into how firefighters/paramedics perform their duties, as well as how the department serves the community. Individuals who would like to participate in the Academy must be at least 18 years of age. Those wishing to apply, or just seeking more information about the Citizen Fire Academy should contact me at mclaughlins@naperville.il.us.
Everyone who has taken this class leaves saying it was the best thing they ever did. Come join us!
