Citizen Fire Academy

Danville Fire Department Citizen’s Fire Academy

Spring 2023, the Danville Fire Department (DFD) will conduct its first Citizen's Fire Academy. This program is designed for citizens who have a genuine desire to learn more about the daily lives of professional firefighters, who want to heighten their awareness regarding fire and life safety, and who wish to enhance their knowledge of the fire service industry. This program will provide its participants with a rich learning environment that will afford them an in-depth view of the DFD services and capabilities. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to perform various skills of a professional firefighter.

The Purpose of The Citizen's Fire Academy

Our goal is to teach every participant the multitude of services and capabilities of the DFD and provide them with a clear understanding of our commitment to service. We will encourage our participants to share their experiences in the program and deliver our message of fire and life safety awareness to their families and friends — we want our message to be contagious.

The program is open to adults 21 years old or older who live or work in the City of Danville. The program graduates will receive a certificate of completion upon successful completion of the program. There is no charge to the participants; all materials are provided.

Who will be the instructors?

All instructors in the program are members of the DFD and are committed to providing the best learning experience. Our instructors are certified firefighters and certified in their field(s) of expertise.

The Selection Process

Citizens are selected based on demographics and the citizen's ability to reach other members of their community. In preparing for the Citizen's Fire Academy, efforts will be made to include educational, religious, and business communities.

The participants must realize that the Citizen's Fire Academy is a learning experience. It is not intended to train them to become firefighters or to assist at a fire.

To Apply, Click the link below to fill out an application.

APPLICATION LINK

Measuring the Academy's Success

To keep the Citizen's Fire Academy informative and exciting, we encourage participants to critique the program throughout its entirety. Enhancements to the program will be implemented based on the feedback received from the participants.

Students are encouraged to participate in all practical demonstrations and to interact with the instructors and one another.

Schedule of Classes

We will cover a lot over nine weeks. Listed below is the program schedule and a short description for each class. Beginning March 9th, classes will meet every Thursday (6 pm-8 pm), culminating with a graduation ceremony on April 27th.

Week # 1 – March 2nd

Program Introduction

In this class, you will learn about the rich history of the Danville Fire Department. You will also learn about what it takes to become a Danville Firefighter and the training it entails.

Location: DFD Headquarters

Class Duration: 2 hours

Instructor: Deputy Chief Brandyn Smith

Week # 2 – March 9th

Fire Department Apparatus, Tools, and Equipment Familiarization

In this class, you will become familiar with the various fire apparatus, tools, and equipment utilized by firefighters. In addition, there will be demonstrations of the tools and equipment and opportunities for you to gain hands-on experience utilizing the tools and equipment during group exercises.

Location: DFD Headquarters

Class Duration: 2 hours

Instructors: Engine 1 and Ladder 1 Crews

Week # 3 – March 16th

Emergency Management / Communications / Fire Investigation / Logistics

In this class, you will learn about the multitude of divisions that encompass the Danville Fire Department; these include:

• The role of the fire communications center and how 911 emergency calls are processed then dispatched

• The Fire Investigation Task Force and the work they do to determine the cause and origin of a fire

• The role of Emergency Management during man-made and natural disasters

We will end the program with a graduation ceremony. The Fire Chief and members of his command staff will be in attendance to present a certificate of completion to each participant. Dinner will be served following the ceremony. Participants are encouraged to invite their family and friends to celebrate their accomplishments.

Location: DFD Headquarters

Class Duration: 2 hours

Instructor: Chief Dave Coffey