Training Bureau
Training / Emergency Medical Services Bureau is led by Assistant Chief Chris Blair
The Training / EMS Bureau oversees the following areas:
- Fire Training- This section provides fire training for all 1,550 Division members.
- Emergency Medical Services - The EMS bureau provides oversight and training for all the division Paramedics and EMT's, including the EMS Quality Assurance area, EMS Officer oversight, EMS Patient Care Reporting and ongoing training to keep the division's EMT's and Paramedics current in order to maintain their certifications.
- Apprenticeship Training -The Apprenticeship Training section is responsible for all aspects of the 36-month Apprenticeship Program, including test development, test administration and all associated record-keeping. Over the course of the past fifteen years the apprenticeship program graduated 586 firefighters. Those firefighters have received a “Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship” from the United States Department of Labor.
- Officer and Specialized Training -This section facilitates the delivery of a wide variety of courses. This section provides ongoing training that helps to keep our personnel up to date on the most current emergency response techniques, and enables them to respond safety and knowledgeably to any emergency.
- Recruit Training -During the 30 week recruit training period, three lieutenants and several additional firefighters are transferred to this section to assist in supervising and training the recruit firefighters. The recruits are certified as a Firefighter II, EMT-Basic, Fire Safety Inspector, and receive excessive training on Divisional Operations. The Recruit Training staff graduated two recruit classes of new firefighters in 2011.
- Rescue Training -This section teaches Basic Technical Rescue Training, Special Operations Rescue Training and Continuing Education for Rescue Technicians, all of which is based on NFPA 1670.