Fire Department Planning Citizens Fire Academy

Posted: Saturday, February 9th 2008 at 8:54am
By Ashley Cox Staff
AccessNorthGA.com

GAINESVILLE - Hall County Fire Services is now accepting applications for its first Citizens Fire Academy.

Fire Marshal Scott Cagle said the 10-week class is designed to provide citizens with information about the fire department and the many roles of a firefighter.

Participants will learn about the role of fire prevention, training and code inspections, as well as the history of the fire department, hazardous materials and open water rescue.

"At the end of the program they'll have the opportunity to put on the turnout gear and go into our training center," Cagle said, where they will get up close and personal with a real, controlled fire.

And, after completing the course, "They will get to ride along with one of our battalion chiefs."

The deadline to register for the course is Feb. 26.

The course starts March 4, and will meet for two hours, once a week for 10 weeks.

Participants must be at least 18-years-old, live in Hall County and be in good physical condition.

Past or present participants in Hall County's Citizens Emergency Response Training program are not eligible to attend due to the similarities in training.

Application forms are available at www.hallcounty.org, or can be mailed upon request. To register, complete the form and return it to Hall County Fire Services by fax to 770-531-6845 or by e-mail to croberts@hallcounty.org.

Since class size is limited, applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the class.

For more information, contact: 770-531-6838.