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WHAT TO EXPECT DURING FIREFIGHTER/EMT- ENHANCED RECRUIT TRAINING
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FF/EMT-E recruits participate in the Tidewater Regional
Fire Academy. Training is conducted to successfully
complete the certification courses of EMT-Basic,
EMT-Enhanced, Firefighter I and II, as well as
additional specialized courses to prepare each recruit
for extra ordinary situations. Academy training lasts
approximately 7 months and consists of classroom,
physical fitness, practical exercises, and field fire
and medical experience. Recruits attend the academy
Monday - Friday 7a.m. till 5 p.m. The hours may be
altered as necessary, to facilitate training needs.
Recruits commute daily between their residence and the
training center. |
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CLASSROOM
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Recruits receive quality classroom instruction
in areas of EMT-B, EMT-E, Firefighter I, Firefighter II,
Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations, Vehicle
Rescue, Rope Awareness, May Day Firefighter Down,
Confined Space, Communicating with Children, Mass
Causality Incident and Emergency Vehicle Operation.
Recruits receive weekly testing to assess their success
in learning classroom materials. Recruits must meet or
exceed minimum standards established by the academy, the
Virginia Department of Fire Programs, and Virginia
Office of EMS. |
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PHYSICAL FITNESS – Recruits begin
every morning with intense and rigorous physical
training related to fitness and health standards needed
to perform the physically demanding aspects of fire
suppression and emergency medical care. Daily exercise
training includes both strength and aerobic
conditioning: running, abdominal crunches, push-ups,
mountain climbers, biceps and triceps exercises, and
stretching. A physical fitness test is conducted three
times over the span of the academy. The test involves a
1.5 mile timed run, maximum number of sit-ups in one
minute, and maximum number of push-ups to exhaustion. |
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PRACTICAL EXERCISES -
Recruits
receive supervised practical instruction in the areas of
medical and fire. On-site training with medical and
trauma patient scenarios, intravenous therapy, airway
techniques, medication administration, and off-site
training in fire suppression activities including hose
deployment, water supply, ladder operations, forcible
entry, foam application, vehicle extrication, rope
rescue and ventilation. Recruits are put in environments
that test them mentally and physically to include
working at heights above ground level to include roofs
of varying pitches, fully extended aerial ladders that
equal between an 8 and 10 story building, as well as
environments that test claustrophobic reactions and
limit classic sensory functions including restricted
visibility and freedom of movement. Recruits receive
weekly testing to assess their ability to successfully
perform the required skills. Recruits must meet or
exceed minimum standards established by the academy, the
Virginia Department of Fire Program, and Virginia Office
of EMS. |
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FIELD EXPERIENCE -
The recruits
receive field experience within local emergency rooms,
regional burn buildings and acquired structures. In the
emergency room, patient assessments and advanced medical
care to the EMT-Enhanced level is closely supervised by
a Field Training Instructor. Valuable realistic fire
evolutions take place under close supervision of fire
officers and master firefighters. |
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