Career as a firefighter: you?
The following is all from emcare.org. It seems to be authoritative.
A job as firefighter looks both dangerous, exciting and very challenging. It must really test the occupant and is surely not for anyone. But maybe it is for you?
“What is the Fire Fighter I & Hazmat Awareness Course? (9 weeks).
The Fire Fighter I course is a career course intended for any person wishing to pursue a career as a professional fire fighter. Our course is internationally accredited by IFSAC and based on NFPA 1001: Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications.
The course is designed for the person who seeks the knowledge and skills to function as an integral member of a firefighting team under direct or general supervision in hazardous conditions. The Fire Fighter I course consists of a combination of classroom study, drill field practice, and training evolutions that will prepare the fire fighter to perform most fire ground functions under the supervision of an officer or experienced firefighter.
Our programme includes Hazmat Awareness - a course for emergency response personnel who may be first on the scene of a hazardous materials emergency at the awareness level, acting in a defensive posture to protect people, the environment, or property from the effects of an unplanned hazardous materials release.
COURSE CONTENT
• Orientation and Fire Service History, Firefighter Safety and Health
• Fire Department Communications
• Building Construction, Fire Behaviour
• Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment
• Portable Fire Extinguishers, Ropes, Webbing, and Knots
• Structural Search, Victim Removal, and Firefighter Survival
• Scene Lighting, Rescue Tools, Vehicle Extrication, and Technical Rescue
• Forcible Entry,Ground Ladders, Tactical Ventilation, Water Supply
• Rescue, Fire Hose, Fire Streams, Fire Control, Loss Control
• Fire Origin and Cause Determination
• Fire and Life Safety Initiatives
• Relevant SA legislation
• NFPA 471, 472 and 473
• Introduction to hazardous materials
• Properties of hazardous materials
• Recognise and identify hazardous materials
• Personal protective equipment, Command, safety and scene control
• Hazardous materials – containers and packaging
So, ready to sign up?
PRE-REQUISITES
• No Claustrophobia, No acrophobia, Fitness declaration
• Valid medical certificate, Grade 12 or equivalent.
• English read/write proficiency.
Although people have fought fires since there have been valuable things to burn, the first instance of organized professionals combating structural fires occurred in ancient Egypt.
Likewise, fire fighters of the Roman Republic existed solely as privately organized and funded groups.
Augustus revolutionized firefighting by calling for the creation of a fire guard that was trained, paid, and equipped by the state,
Prior to the great fire of 1666, London had no organized fire protection system.
Afterwards, insurance companies formed private fire brigades to protect their clients’ property. These buildings were identified by fire insurance marks.
Fires in Edo, the former name of Tokyo, during the Edo period (1600−1868) of Japan were so frequent that the city of Edo was characterized as the saying “Fires and quarrels are the flowers of Edo” goes.[1] Even in the modern days, the old Edo was still remembered as the “City of Fires”
