Recruit Firefighter Program Readiness
Your preparation both physically and academically should start the day you applied for your first Firefighter position.
Prepare yourself for the Academy NOW
The Recruit Firefighter Program follows modern educational theory in these four main areas:
- Academics (Cognitive Learning Domain)
- Skill Proficiency (Psychomotor Domain)
- Professional Demeanor (Affective Domain)
- Work Capacity (Physical Fitness for the occupation)
For each of these areas, in which the recruits are both trained and measured, there is an opportunity to prepare and improve readiness and performance prior to arriving and during residence.
Click the link below to view the Orientation to the Recruit Firefighter Program video:
The Recruit Firefighter Program Preparation Guide provides additional information on how the prospective recruits can BEST PREPARE BEFORE THE START OF THE CLASS.
Click the link below for the Recruit Firefighter Program Preparation Guide:
This is a very physically demanding profession, and it is unforgiving with age, past injuries and weakness. Those individuals that lack the discipline to maintain above average levels of aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity, muscular strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility are not and will not be effective firefighters.
Firefighters can be considered "Occupational Athletes" and will exert as much energy performing critical tasks as would a College or Professional Football Player on the field. Whether preparing for the Recruit Firefighter Program or for a career as a Firefighter, the better your physical condition is, the greater the change your body can adapt to the rigorous training and the job. It is imperative to be in the best shape possible.
Click the link below for the Physical Fitness Preparedness page for additional information:
Medical research has found that proper nutrition is vital to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer in firefighters. Nutrition and medical experts agree that following a Mediterranean-style diet improves health.
Click on the link below to the Feeding America's Bravest webpage for additional information and nutrition guidance that may assist a Recruit in preparation for the Academy and a healthy career.
Fire Service Candidates, those on a Fire Department hiring list, need to seriously prepare and acclimatize themselves with the fire ground training weather environments found during both seasons.
Fall Recruit Firefighter Programs typically begin in the late summer when heat and humidity can cause the heat index to reach extreme conditions.
Spring Recruit Firefighter Programs typically begin mid-February when exposure to the cold and wind chill challenge firefighter's ability to stay warm and dry.
Weeks of preparation may be required to safely perform firefighter training and work in the weather conditions at the start of the Recruit Firefighter Program. Acclimatization to the summer heat and winter cold will greatly benefit the health of the recruit.
Click on the link below for guidance:
For the safety of the Recruit, any potential or new hire should prepare 4-6 weeks in advance to the start of a recruit class.
Recruit applicants are required to have a Pre-Employment Fire Department physical or Fire Department Medical Examination within the past 12 months prior to the class start date.
Click the link below for additional information regarding an Applicant's Medical Requirements: