CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY
In the fall of 1995, the Fort Worth Fire Department began to recognize the need to become more educationally pro-active in serving the citizens of our city. Following a series of framework discussions involving fire personnel and members of local neighborhood associations, it was determined that a greater spirit of understanding and cooperation could exist between the Fire Department and the citizens if we could make people aware of the different entities that comprise our Fire Department, and extend an invitation to them to become involved with the Fire Department on a more personal level. The outcome of this was the formation of the Citizens Fire Academy.
In the spring of 1996, the Fort Worth Fire Department's Educational Division graduated the first Citizens Fire Academy. The curriculum and teaching methods are similar to the professional Fire Academy, but the students will not be candidates for professional firefighting based upon participation. The class members tend to be a cross-section of the Fort Worth community, i.e., homemakers, professional business persons, retirees, and neighborhood watch members who are anxious to learn about the operation of their Fire Department.
Graduates will become more familiar with the day to day operation of the Fort Worth Fire Department. Additionally, graduates will be able to participate in certain future activities, such as 4th of July operations, neighborhood fire patrols, etc.
The training program consists of both classroom and practical instruction. Participants will meet in 3-hour sessions once a week. Instruction will be comprehensive where each week a different area of the Fire Department will be highlighted. These sessions will be taught by actual fire personnel from those areas of the department. Topics will include: the firefighter selection process, fire safety education, fire communications, water rescue, prevention and code enforcement, fire investigation.
For more information, please contact our Public Education Section at 817-392-6862.