Loudoun County Fire and Rescue’s Recruit Training Academy is a program designed to provide recruits with the basic instruction required to be an effective Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Recruit School incorporates three primary instructional areas: emergency medical, fire suppression, and physical fitness. Each of these areas address specific job functions – the ability to render effective care to the sick and injured; the ability to mitigate a fire or rescue emergency; and the ability to remain mentally and physically capable of performing these functions when needed. Additional areas of instruction include emergency vehicle operations (EVOC), hazardous materials (Hazmat) operations, Introduction to Heavy Technical Rescue (HTR) I and II, HTR Vehicle Rescue, MayDay Firefighter Down, MayDay Rapid Intervention Team (RIT), and Rural Water Supply.
Over the course of Recruit School, recruits will be evaluated on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Evaluations include quizzes, tests, practical evolutions, and informal feedback from the Recruit cadre. Recruits will participate in a physical fitness test every two months to measure their progress during physical training. The Recruit cadre will conduct individual, monthly reviews to ensure that recruits are meeting the goals and objectives outlined in the Recruit Firefighter/EMT Performance Plan.
To be successful, recruits must be committed to this program. While the Recruit cadre is available for additional tutoring or practicing; each recruit is ultimately responsible for ensuring that he or she learns the required material and can perform the necessary skills.
Finally, it is important to remember that Recruit School is only the beginning of the learning process. Once in the field, personnel must make an ongoing effort to continue to learn and practice throughout their career.
