Whether you one day hope to become a real life firefighter as a career choice, or simply want to be as fully prepared for disaster occurrences as possible, firefighters in South Haven might have just the opportunity for you in the form of their Citizen Fire Academy.
South Haven Area Emergency Services will be conducting their third Citizen Fire Academy beginning March 20th,and the department is looking for up to 15 South Haven area residents who would like to learn what it takes to be a firefighter.
The Citizen Fire Academy is not a certification course, but all students will leave having gained skills that may save a life, along with having a better understanding of the fire department’s capabilities. The Academy is held every two years, and the last such Academy was conducted in 2017.
The Academy is open to anyone 18 years of age or older who lives in the greater South Haven community. Due to the physical nature of the program, interested parties are strongly encouraged to consult with their physician prior to making application. Physical activities will include, but are not limited to:
- Lifting of heavy tools
- Wearing heavy equipment
- Kneeling
- Crawling
- Pulling
- Pushing
- Having a great time while doing it all…
Classes will be held primarily on Wednesday evenings beginning on March 20th at 6:30 pm and continuing until May 8th. Three classes will be held on Saturday mornings (those dates are March 23rd, April 13th and April 27th).
Skills will include:
- Rope rescue
- Vehicle extrication
- Fire extinguishers
- CPR
- Home safety inspections
- Structural firefighting
The deadline for applying is March 6th. Contact Owen Ridley with questions to enroll and obtain an application form at oridley@shaes.org or by calling 269-637-1813.
The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is courtesy of Tom Renner and the South Haven Area Emergency Services and shows part of a class from the 2017 Citizen Fire Academy at South Haven.
