How do you get your training ? Arkansas Fire Academy has free training to our fire fighters . What does the other states have . Do you or your fire departments have to pay ?
Hay Damon
Here in Mason, Wisconsin our training is offered through the local community college. The state paid for the class in the past and when certificates where given if you missed any time then it would say on there completed 41 of 44 hours or 38 of 44 hours. If you attended all the hours required for a class it would just say you completed the course. Well the state noticed too often certificates where being handed out for less than the full course hours and in some rare cases as little as half the course hours. As of January 2008 if the course is not 100% complete the state will not pay for the training your department will have to pay for it. So if you didn’t already know you where taking training to learn something and not to play grade school graba$$ well now the point is being driven home a little more by the department.
In Indiana there are multiple ways to obtain your certification. You can attend one of the many 2 week Fire Schools offered around the state throughout the year, most departments have in house instructors who hold recruit classes and higher, or you can attend some of the trade based schools (ie. Vincennes or Ivy Tech). The state doesn't pay for anything here, everything comes out of either the FF or the dept pockets.