The Charlotte Fire Department Citizen's Academy
This fall, the Charlotte Fire Department (CFD) will conduct its annual Citizen's Fire Academy. This program is designed for people who have a genuine desire to learn more about the daily lives of professional firefighters, who want to heighten their awareness regarding fire and life safety, and who wish to enhance their knowledge of the fire service industry. This program will provide its participants with a rich learning environment that will afford them an in-depth view of the CFD services and capabilities. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to perform various skills of a professional firefighter.
The Purpose of The Citizen's Fire Academy
Our goal is to teach every participant the multitude of services and capabilities of the CFD and provide them with a clear understanding of our commitment to service. We will encourage our participants to share their experiences in the program and deliver our message of fire and life safety awareness to their families and friends — we want our message to be contagious.
The program is open to adults 18 years old or older who are residents of the City of Charlotte. The program graduates will receive a certificate of completion upon successful completion of the program. There is no charge to the participants; all materials are provided.
Who will be the Instructors?
All instructors in the program are members of the CFD and are committed to providing the best learning experience. Our instructors are certified firefighters and certified in their field(s) of expertise.
The Selection Process
Citizens are selected based on demographics and the citizen's ability to reach other members of their community. In preparing for the Citizen's Fire Academy, efforts will be made to include educational, religious, and business communities.
The participants must realize that the Citizen's Fire Academy is a learning experience. It is not intended to train them to become firefighters or to assist at a fire.
Measuring the Academy's Success
To keep the Citizen's Fire Academy informative and exciting, we encourage participants to critique the program throughout its entirety. Enhancements to the program will be implemented based on the feedback received from the participants.
Students are encouraged to participate in all practical demonstrations and to interact with the instructors and one another.
Schedule of Classes
We will cover a lot over nine weeks. Listed below are a program schedule and a short description for each class. Beginning August 12th, classes will meet every Thursday (6 pm-8 pm), culminating with a graduation ceremony on October 7th.
Week # 1 – August 11th
Program Introduction
In this class, we will learn about the rich history of the Charlotte Fire Department. You will also learn about what it takes to become a Charlotte Firefighter and the training it entails.
Location: CFD Headquarters Class Duration: 2 hours
Week # 2 – August 18th
Fire Department Apparatus, Tools and Equipment Familiarization
In this class, you will become familiar with the various fire apparatus, tools, and equipment utilized by firefighters. In addition, there will be demonstrations of the tools and equipment and opportunities for you to gain hands-on experience utilizing the tools and equipment during group exercises.
Location: CFD Headquarters Class Duration: 2 hours
Week # 3 – August 25th
Emergency Management /Communication / Fire Investigation / Fire Prevention / Logistics
In this class, you will learn about the multitude of divisions that encompass the Charlotte Fire Department; these include:
- The role of the fire communications center and how 911 emergency calls are processed then dispatched
- The Fire Investigation Task Force and the work they do to determine the cause of fire origin
- Fire Prevention and the inspections they conduct to protect the citizens of the Charlotte
- The role of Emergency Management during man-made and natural disasters
- And the essential role of Logistics, ensuring the fire department is well equipped to achieve its mission
Location: CFD Headquarters Class Duration: 2 hours
Week # 4 – September 1st
Active Shooter and Police Assist Company Response and Preparedness
In this class, you will learn about the CFD's Police Assist Companies, how they assist CMPD, CFD's response and preparedness for incidents involving an active shooter, and how to control a victim's bleeding who has sustained a traumatic injury involving severe and uncontrolled bleeding.
Location: CFD Headquarters Class Duration: 2 hours
Week # 5 – September 8th
CFD Rescue Capabilities
This class will learn about the CFD's capabilities regarding special rescue situations involving water, structural collapse, confined spaces, and high and low angle rescues.
Location: CFD Headquarters Class Duration: 2 hours
Week # 6 – September 15th
Hazardous Materials Response
In this class, you will learn about the CFD's capabilities to mitigate incidents involving the unintentional or malicious release of deadly chemicals. Demonstrations will be conducted to show the unique tools and equipment used by CFD hazmat members.
Location: CFD Headquarters Class Duration: 2 hours
Week #7 – September 22nd
In this class, you will learn about the CFD training requirements and tour the training ground of the Training Academy.
Location: CFD Headquarters Class Duration: 2 hours
Week # 8 – September 29th
ARFF – Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting
In this class, you will learn about aircraft rescue and firefighting operations at the Charlotte Douglas Airport. During your time in class, your instructor will teach you about the various apparatus and equipment to fight fires involving aircraft emergencies. There will also be a live-fire demonstration with the ARFF training simulator.
Location: Airport – Fire Station # 41 Class Duration: 2 hours
Week # 9 – October 6th
Graduation Ceremony
We will end the program with a graduation ceremony. The Fire Chief and members of his command staff will be in attendance to present a certificate of completion to each participant. Dinner will be served following the ceremony. Participants are encouraged to invite their family and friends to celebrate their accomplishments.
Location: Fire Station # 38 Class Duration: 2 hours