Learn What It Takes to Launch a Firefighter Career in Ontario
Posted by Jason White on Monday, July 14, 2014
Under: College Education
Any college curriculum that includes input from professional
organizations in the field offers additional benefits for a number of
reasons. First, it signals to employers that the program is endorsed by
respected organizations. Secondly, it ensures that students are
obtaining totally up-to-date knowledge. Thirdly, a curriculum with input
from professional organizations give students the opportunity to
network with the men and women whom will become their peers once they
graduate.
One Centennial College program with a curriculum that was approved by a professional organization is the firefighter program
known as Pre-service Firefighter Education and Training. It focuses on
offering students theory and practical training that is in accordance
with the approved curriculum developed by the Ontario Association of
Fire Chiefs (OAFC) and the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM).
As such, students are exposed to the full array of topics that they will
need to be eligible to write the Ontario Fire Marshal Provincial
testing. Some fire departments now require or prefer applicants who have
completed the Pre-service Firefighter Education and Training program
before hiring. It is expected that the program will increasingly become a
minimum criterion for fire service hiring.
Each firefighter course in this offering contains some form of hands-on
practice, small group-teaching scenarios and simulation training under
the guidance of qualified instructors. Additionally, students develop
skills in fire suppression, rescue operations and environmental
protection, through the training facilities at Toronto Fire Services and
Centennial's state-of-the-art patient care lab. Lastly, students gain
practical experience in various activities such as "live fire burns" at
the City of Toronto's Fire Training Academy and the Emergency Patient
Care at Centennial's Healthcare Simulation Centre at Morningside Campus.
Thanks to coverage that includes topics such as: fire equipment, fire
suppression, fire ground operations fitness, rescue operations, fire
safety inspection, professional preparation, fitness and more, students
graduate with the ability to:
- After identifying personal and professional developmental resources or activities, use them to promote growth and contribute to lifelong learning;
- Beware of and live up to ethical, legal and safety requirements of professionals in the fire service industry;
- Use safe practices and techniques when handling fire department apparatus, tools and equipment;
- Confidently, professionally and using empathy, interact with others in a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations;
- Demonstrate respect and care when communicating effectively with diverse communities and their members;
- Use effective and appropriate problem-solving and decision-making skills in emergency and non-emergency situations;
- Work effectively with other members of the fire service team, pre-hospital emergency care providers and other emergency service-related groups to provide comprehensive service in emergency and non-emergency situations;
- And more
In : College Education
Tags: firefighter course firefighter program