Fire Course Offerings

• Orientation: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 7:00pm
• Date: Wednesday, Sept. 6, thru Friday, Dec. 15 , 2023
• Time:
  • M/W/F 7:00pm-11:00pm
  • Sat. 8:00am-5:00pm              
• Cost:
  • In-County $450
  • Out of County $650

This program, which incorporates the Firefighter 1 and 2 training courses, introduces the new Firefighter to the basics of nationally recognized firefighting techniques presented in a quasi-military setting. Methods of instruction will include classroom theory and skill oriented “hands on” drill sessions. Student performance and progress will be evaluated throughout the course through the use of quizzes and evaluations which include written and practical assessments. The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety standardized Firefighter 1 and 2 certification exams are given as part of the final evaluation. The Basic Firefighter Training Course exceeds the performance objectives of the N.F.P.A. standard 1001, N.J.A.C. 5:73-4.3, and N.J.A.C. 5:75-6.1. Upon successful completion recruits will receive certification in Firefighter-1, Firefighter-2, HazMat Awareness, HazMat Operations, ICS-100, 200, 700, and 800, Right to Know, and Traffic Incident Management.

Registration for this program can only be completed by the sponsoring fire agency.

Please Note: All firefighter recruits must complete CPR and Bloodborne Pathogen training prior to receiving their Certification from the NJ Division of Fire Safety. This training will not be included in this program and must be provided at the agency level.

Department representatives should contact the Academy for an application and CPAT packet.

Deadline for completed applications is Monday, August 7, 2023

• Orientation: Wednesday, September 6, 2023
• Dates: Monday, September 11, 2023 thru Thu. December 21, 2023
• Time: 0800-1700 Monday through Friday
• Cost:
  • In-County $1,750.00
  • Out of County $2,000.00

This program, which incorporates the Firefighter 1 and 2 training courses, introduces the newly hired Career Firefighter to the basics of nationally recognized firefighting techniques presented in a paramilitary setting. Methods of instruction will include classroom theory, skill oriented “hands on” drill sessions, and a physical training and conditioning program. Student performance and progress will be evaluated throughout the course through the use of quizzes and evaluations which include written, practical and physical assessments.

The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety standardized Firefighter 1 and 2 certification exams are given as part of the final evaluation. The Basic Firefighter Training Course exceeds the performance objectives of the N.F.P.A. standard 1001, N.J.A.C. 5:73-4.3, and N.J.A.C. 5:75-6.1. Upon successful completion recruits will receive certification in Firefighter-1, Firefighter-2, HazMat Awareness, HazMat Operations, ICS-100, 200, 700, and 800, Bloodborne Pathogens, Right to Know, Traffic Incident Management, and AHA CPR for Healthcare Providers.

Registration for this program can only be completed by the employing fire agency.

• Department representatives should contact the Academy for an application and CPAT packet.
• Deadline for completed applications is January 13, 2023.
• View Registration Form

This 8 hour course is required for anyone wishing to obtain or renew a Drill Ground Instructor Certification issued by the Division of Fire Safety. The intent of this course is to ensure that instructors understand the safety issues and adopted NFPA Standards inherent in SCBA/Smokehouse and Live Burn firefighting training. Instructors must be capable of demonstrating the proper methods of identifying and correcting an unsafe situation as it occurs. This course is required for those fire service instructors that wish to teach specified modules in the Firefighter I course in the State of New Jersey. This course will provide .5 Instructor CEU’s.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1
• Date(s):  September 6, 2023                                                              
• Time:  0830 – 1630
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  All Class Materials Provided
• Cost:
  • Union County – $40.00
  • Out of County – $50.00
• View Registration Form

This 8 hour course is required for anyone wishing to obtain or renew a Drill Ground Instructor Certification issued by the Division of Fire Safety. The intent of this course is to ensure that instructors understand the safety issues and adopted NFPA Standards inherent in SCBA/Smokehouse and Live Burn firefighting training. Instructors must be capable of demonstrating the proper methods of identifying and correcting an unsafe situation as it occurs. This course is required for those fire service instructors that wish to teach specified modules in the Firefighter I course in the State of New Jersey. This course will provide .5 Instructor CEU’s.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1
• Date(s):  September 6 and 7, 2023                                                    
• Time:  1830 – 2230
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  All Class Materials Provided
• Cost:
  • Union County – $40.00
  • Out of County – $50.00
• View Registration Form

This course will give the student the knowledge and skills to meet the objectives of Level II Fire Service Instructor for NFPA std. 1041 Fire Service Professional Qualifications, and meet part of the requirements for the Level Il Fire Service Instructor for New Jersey State Certification. Textbooks will NOT be provided. Students will need to purchase the 9th edition of IFSTA Fire and Emergency Services Instructor manual. This class will meet every Thursday for six consecutive weeks. 

• PREREQUISITE: 21 years of age,  NJ Certified FF-1 for three years minimum, and NJ Certified Level 1 Fire Instructor.  
• Date(s):  September 7, 14, 21, 28, October 5, and 12, 2023
• Time:  0830 – 1630
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  9th Edition of IFSTA Fire and Emergency Services Instructor Manual. (NOT PROVIDED)
• Cost:
  • Union County – $275.00
  • Out of County – $375.00
• View Registration Form

Railroad incidents pose significant challenges to all emergency service personnel. Large, heavy-duty equipment, high voltage electrical lines and equipment, high speed moving trains, and accessibility concerns all present grave hazards to responding personnel. Safe operations are the primary objective at these incidents. This 3 hour course will establish for the first responder the standards for safety, training, and operations in response to incidents involving trains, rail equipment, or incidents on or about the railroad right-of-way. Police, Fire, EMS, and Dispatchers will all benefit from this program which is accredited by both the NJ Office of Emergency Medical Services and the NJ Division of Fire Safety. 3 elective OEMS CEU’s and .25 DFS Technical CEU’s will be awarded to qualified personnel upon successful course completion. 

• Instructor(s): Christopher Scanlon, Senior Instructor, NJ Transit Rail Training Department
• Date(s):  September 25, 2023                                                            
• Time:  0900 – 1200
• Class Limit:  50 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  All Class Materials Provided
• Cost:
  • Union County – No Charge
  • Out of County – $25.00
• View Registration Form

Upon successful completion of this interactive fundamental level course, the student will be able to describe the benefits of cross-disciplinary cooperation among fire protection and design professionals, explain the elements of building construction as they apply to construction codes, describe the elements of building construction as they apply to firefighter safety, anticipate fire behavior based on structural elements of and thermal effects on the most commonly encountered types of building construction, and describe how design elements and emerging building methods and materials affect fire behavior and structural performance. This course meets the NJ Division of Fire Safety requirement for 12 hours of training on the Principles of Building Construction series of instructional courses necessary to receive a Level 1 Fire Officer certification.

• Date(s):  October 4, 11, 18, and 25    
• Time:  1830 – 2230                                         
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Mandatory Text:  6th Edition., Brannigans Building Construction for the Fire Service (NOT PROVIDED)
• Cost:
  • Union County – $100.00
  • Out of County – $150.00
• View Registration Form

This 16‑hour basic course is intended for firefighters and EMS personnel and will provide the student with the knowledge and practical skills for safe extrication operations at a motor vehicle accident. Upon completion the student will be prepared to function as a member of a supervised team at the emergency scene.

Course topics include: scene safety, proper positioning of apparatus, staging of tools and personnel, inner and outer circle size‑up, anatomy of automotive bodies, terminology, how to function within an incident management system, various methods of lifting and stabilizing vehicles, use of hand tools, air lift bags, various saws and jacks, and hydraulic rescue tools (spreader, ram, and cutter).

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1 or NJ EMT-B
• Date(s):  October 10 & 13 1830-2230, and October 14, 2023 (Saturday)0830-1630  
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max
• Attire: Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment: Full PPE that meets OSHA and PEOSHA required for all practical sessions.                                     
• Cost:
  • Union County – $150.00
  • Out of County – $200.00
• View Registration Form

This 48-hour course is designed to build the skills necessary to be an effective fire service leader. It is the first level in the series of programs required to receive Fire Officer 1 certification and is designed to meet the education and time requirements of N.F.P.A 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, 3rd Edition, for Fire Officer 1 and N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2 qualifications for Fire Officer 1. Course content will include a mixture of lectures, case studies, and classroom exercises designed to acquaint the student with the role of the company officer in a fire department and introduce basic management and leadership theories, practices, and functions. Topics covered include firefighter health and safety, managing resources, planning and readiness, fire prevention, building construction, and risk management. This class will meet every day for six consecutive days.

PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2, and 3 years firefighting experience.

• Date(s):  October 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 23, 2023                             
• Time:  0800-1630
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max
• Attire: Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  NFPA Fire Officer: Principals and Practice, 4^th Edition Student Manual (NOT PROVIDED)
• Cost:
  • Union County – $300.00
  • Out of County – $375.00
• View Registration Form

This two-day course is designed to meet the needs of company officers responsible for managing the operations of one or more companies during structural firefighting operations. This course is designed to develop the management skills needed by company officers to accomplish assigned tactics at structure fires. This course meets the NJ Division of Fire Safety requirement for training on the Fire Tactics series of instructional courses necessary to receive a Level 1 Fire Officer certification. 

• Date(s):  Saturday, October 21, and Sunday, October 22, 2023
• Time:  0800 – 1630
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  All Class Material Provided
• Cost:
  • Union County – $100.00
  • Out of County – $150.00
• View Registration Form

This 48-hour course is designed to build the skills necessary to be an effective fire service leader. It is the first level in the series of programs required to receive Fire Officer 1 certification and is designed to meet the education and time requirements of N.F.P.A 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, 3rd Edition, for Fire Officer 1 and N.J.A.C. 5:73-8.2 qualifications for Fire Officer 1. Course content will include a mixture of lectures, case studies, and classroom exercises designed to acquaint the student with the role of the company officer in a fire department and introduce basic management and leadership theories, practices, and functions. Topics covered include firefighter health and safety, managing resources, planning and readiness, fire prevention, building construction, and risk management. This class will meet every day for six consecutive days.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2, and 3 years firefighting experience.
• Date(s):  October 28, 29, November 4, 5, 11, and 12, 2023
• Time:  0800-1630
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire: Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  NFPA Fire Officer: Principals and Practice, 4th Edition Student Manual (NOT PROVIDED)
• Cost:
  • Union County – $300.00
  • Out of County – $375.00
• View Registration Form

This 24‑hour course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills to properly and safely operate a fire pump at an emergency incident. This course is intended to help the student meet the requirements on NFPA 1002 Standard for Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualification 2017 edition.

Classroom topics will include; Pump Operators Duties and Responsibilities, Pump Principles and Construction, Pump Peripherals, Water Supply, Pump Operations, Discharge Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Hydraulic Theory and Principles, Flow and Friction Loss, and Pump Discharge Pressure Calculations. The student will also receive hands-on training by operating a fire pump during numerous practical exercises.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1
• Date(s):  October 16 & 18, 1830-2230 and October 21 & 28, 0830-1630                                
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire: Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  Full PPE for Practical Exercises                                     
• Cost:
  • Union County – $250.00
  • Out of County – $300.00
• View Registration Form

This 40 hour course of instruction meets the requirements of NFPA 1041, Standard for Fire Service Instructor Professional Qualifications, 2002 edition, specified at N.J.A.C. 5:73-5.2(c). Textbooks will NOT be provided. Students will need to purchase the 9th edition of IFSTA Fire and Emergency Services Instructor manual. This class will meet every Thursday for five consecutive weeks. 

• PREREQUISITE: 21 years of age and NJ Certified Firefighter-1 for three years min.
• Date(s):  November 2, 9, 16, 30, and December 7, 2023                    
• Time:  0830 – 1730
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Mandatory Text:  9th Edition of IFSTA Fire and Emergency Services Instructor Manual. (NOT PROVIDED)
• Cost:
  • Union County – $275.00
  • Out of County – $375.00
• View Registration Form

Knowledge of important firefighter ropes and knots and effective use of them is an essential skill for the fire service. From basic rigging and equipment hoisting operations, to high and low angle rescues, ropes and webbing are part of every firefighter’s toolkit. This 8 hour course will help individuals understand the proper execution and maintenance of firefighter ropes and knots and is applicable to firefighters of all training levels. Starting with a review of the basics, this hands on course provides a comprehensive overview of ropes, how to tie the most popular knots used in the fire service, and how to safely hoist and secure tools and equipment.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1 or NJ EMT-B
• Date(s):  November 11, 2023                                                             
• Time:  0830-1630    
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire: Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  Helmet, Gloves, Eye Protection, and Footwear that meets OSHA and PEOSHA requirements
• Cost:
  • Union County – $80.00
  • Out of County – $100.00
• View Registration Form

Railroad incidents pose significant challenges to all emergency service personnel. Large, heavy-duty equipment, high voltage electrical lines and equipment, high speed moving trains, and accessibility concerns all present grave hazards to responding personnel. Safe operations are the primary objective at these incidents. This 3 hour course will establish for the first responder the standards for safety, training, and operations in response to incidents involving trains, rail equipment, or incidents on or about the railroad right-of-way. Police, Fire, EMS, and Dispatchers will all benefit from this program which is accredited by both the NJ Office of Emergency Medical Services and the NJ Division of Fire Safety. 3 elective OEMS CEU’s and .25 DFS Technical CEU’s will be awarded to qualified personnel upon successful course completion. 

• Instructor(s): Christopher Scanlon, Senior Instructor, NJ Transit Rail Training Department
• Date(s):  November 14, 2023                                                             
• Time:  1900 – 2200
• Class Limit:  50 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  All Class Materials Provided
• Cost:
  • Union County – No Charge
  • Out of County – $25.00
• View Registration Form

The 16-hour NFPA 1521 Incident Safety Officer course is a part of the New Jersey State Fire Officer requirements and provides students with a solid foundation and knowledge to identify and analyze safety concerns, as well as how to communicate and recommended solutions to the command authority. This course is an incident-specific, scene oriented course that will cover topics including the role of the Incident Safety Officer; standards, policies and regulations; record keeping and documentation; risk management; and incident considerations. The intended audience for this course is Staff and Chief Officers, Line Officers, and Firefighters with command responsibilities.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 2
• Date(s):  December 7 and 8, 2023
• Time:  0830 – 1630
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  All Class Materials Provided
• Cost:
  • Union County – $80.00
  • Out of County – $100.00
• View Registration Form

The 16-hour NFPA 1521 Incident Safety Officer course is a part of the New Jersey State Fire Officer requirements and provides students with a solid foundation and knowledge to identify and analyze safety concerns, as well as how to communicate and recommended solutions to the command authority. This course is an incident-specific, scene oriented course that will cover topics including the role of the Incident Safety Officer; standards, policies and regulations; record keeping and documentation; risk management; and incident considerations. The intended audience for this course is Staff and Chief Officers, Line Officers, and Firefighters with command responsibilities.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 2
• Date(s):  December 7, 12, 14, and 19, 2023
• Time:  1830 – 2230
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.
• Attire:  Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment:  All Class Materials Provided
• Cost:
  • Union County – $80.00
  • Out of County – $100.00
• View Registration Form

This 16-hour course will cover the RIC team concept, duties and responsibilities, problems on the fire ground that require the RIC team activation, methods of firefighting self-rescue, RIC equipment and tool cache, basic rescue rope operations and knots, calling a “MAYDAY” and giving a status report. Firefighter rescue skills will also include; The “NANCE” drill, the “DENVER” drill, below grade firefighter rescue, upper floor firefighter removal, individual rescue drags and carries, rope assisted search techniques, SCBA/air management techniques, and communications. Please note that his course will involve VERY STRENUOUS ACTIVITY. All students will be required to complete all modules of RIC training for course completion. There will be NO exceptions.

• PREREQUISITE: NJ Firefighter 1
• Date(s):  December 11, 12 1830-2230 and December 16, 0830-1630
• Class Limit:  24 Student Max.                                                
• Attire: Uniform or Business Casual
• Equipment: Full protective PPE and SCBA (including one spare bottle)                                            
• Cost:
  • Union County – $100.00
  • Out of County – $150.00
• View Registration Form