Learn What It Takes to Launch a Firefighter Career in Ontario

  • Added:
    Jul 08, 2014
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    1308
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Learn What It Takes to Launch a Firefighter Career in Ontario Photo by Jason White

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

Author's Profile

In the article about Centennial College's Pre-service Firefighter Course Education and Training program, Author includes details of courses, teaching methods, possible learning outcomes and much more.


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