Westchester County NY Government

Aug. 3, 2011 -- In an effort to help build the ranks of local volunteer fire departments, the Department of Emergency Services is offering summer sessions for firefighter training to accommodate recruits who are away at college in the spring and fall or who may have other commitments during the year. 

"Many young people are willing to serve their communities as volunteer firefighters, but they are unable to obtain the necessary training because they go to school out of the area or just have other commitments during the year," County Executive Robert P. Astorino said. "This special summer schedule aims to get them involved – and keep them involved – with their community's fire department. We have the training. They have the commitment. This summer program helps bring the two together."

DES Deputy Commissioner John Cullen, the county's fire coordinator, said that the Firefighter I class, which grounds recruits in basic firefighting skills, require 87 hours of classroom and hands-on instruction. The class is generally offered during the year one or two nights per week, in three- or four-hour sessions. That schedule is designed to accommodate persons with work and family responsibilities.

The summer session, by contrast, compresses the 87 hours of training into three weeks. College-age and other recruits attend the training for four full days per week over a three-week period.

Cullen said that DES offers a similar compressed training schedule during the winter intercession. Some students in this summer's advanced Firefighter II class completed their Firefighter I training in the winter program. The Firefighter II class requires 27 hours of instruction.

"All the training programs are complete and rigorous," Cullen said. "By offering them at different times and in different ways, we are trying to be responsive to the needs of our volunteers."

The Fire Firefighter I class provides the basic knowledge and skills that all fire recruits need to become active firefighters. Recruits learn proper techniques for fighting structure fires, stretching house lines, raising ladders, conducting search and rescue, using Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus and dealing with hazardous materials.

The Firefighter II class provides additional hands-on firefighting training in responding to flammable liquid and propane fires, conducting foam operations and handling other emergencies.

In 2010, 203 volunteer firefighters successfully completed Firefighter I training at DES. The Firefighter I class is the prerequisite for a wide variety of other training conducted at DES for members of volunteer fire departments.

In addition, in 2010, a total of 23,320 students attended a broad array of fire, EMS and emergency services courses conducted at DES, receiving a total of 107,598 hours of training and instruction.

The current Firefighter I class contains 23 students from the following departments: Bedford FD, Briarcliff Manor FD, Chappaqua FD, Croton on Hudson FD, Harrison FD, Hartsdale FD, Irvington FD, Katonah FD, Town of Mamaroneck FD, Mohegan Lake FD, Ossining FD, Peekskill FD, Port Chester FD, Sleepy Hollow FD, Somers FD, Tarrytown FD and Valhalla FD.

The current Firefighter II class contains14 firefighters from the following departments: Briarcliff Manor FD, Croton on Hudson FD, Elmsford FD, Katonah FD, Mount Kisco FD, Ossining FD, Port Chester FD, Rye FD and Sleepy Hollow FD.