The Firefighter I Academy Skills Certificate is intended for pre-Fire Service students and Fire Service professionals (volunteer and paid firefighters) to train in an accepted State certified curriculum. SRJC is an accredited regional fire academy, certified by the California State Board of Fire Services and the State Fire Marshal's Office. In addition to earning this certificate, completers may need additional qualifying experience and/or to meet specific hiring agency requirements before obtaining employment in this occupational field. Contact the Public Safety Department for more information.
The Academy includes 384 hours of instruction in basic firefighting skills, personnel skills and regulations, professional organizations, elementary fire behavior, fire control techniques, firefighting factors and strategies, fire ground safety, apparatus and equipment operation and maintenance, fire investigations, report writing, and physical fitness.
Santa Rosa Junior College issues a Certificate of Completion to students who satisfactorily complete the Firefighter I Academy. The California State Fire Marshals Office will issue a State Firefighter I Certificate to those students who apply with a Firefighter I Certificate of Completion and who have completed required probationary requirements with a fire agency. Volunteer firefighters are required to have a minimum of one year of probation; paid firefighters must have a minimum of 6 months of probation.
The Firefighter I Academy does not include emergency medical care skills required to work as a firefighter. Training to fulfill these requirements is available through SRJC, the American Red Cross, and other local sources.
Completion of this certificate fulfills a portion of the Fire Technology Certificate of Achievement.
For students interested in an Associate degree, a Fire Technology major is also available. More information on the Firefighter I Academy program can be found on the Public Safety Department website.
Most job growth will occur as volunteer firefighting positions are converted to paid positions. In addition to job growth, openings are expected to result from the need to replace firefighters who retire,
stop working for other reasons, or transfer to other occupations.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this certificate, the student will be able to:
- Describe fire department organization and the expectations of entry level firefighters;
- differentiate types of fire behavior and its impact on structural and wildland situations;
- demonstrate and apply the use of fire department equipment through its selection for given firefighting tasks;
- demonstrate and apply knowledge of strategies, tactics and incident command through the selection and implementation of
firefighting methods and the application of the Incident Command System (ICS); and
- demonstrate safe practices by using minimum standard safety procedures
.
