May 5, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (SH2008-43)
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
R. Steve Huffman
Public Information Officer
(251) 208-2857/Fax: (251) 208-2861
E-Mail: huffman@cityofmobile.org
SIXTEEN TO GRADUATE FROM CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY
The Mobile Fire-Rescue Citizens Academy will end its ten weeks of training with graduation ceremonies on Monday, May 5. Sixteen members of the third Citizens Fire Academy, who have a new viewpoint of fire-rescue operations, will receive their certificates of achievement. The graduation is set to begin at 6 p.m. at the Mobile Fire-Rescue Training Academy located at 860 Owens Street.
The class spanned ten weeks and covered all aspects of the fire and emergency medical service. Participants learned CPR, basic first aid, fire extinguisher use and rode along with firefighters and firemedics on actual emergency calls. Participants also rappelled from the four-story training tower and participated in search and rescue exercise. They also toured the 911 Communications Center and the Mobile harbor on board the department’s fire boat, the Phoenix.
The purpose of the program is to increase understanding of the fire and emergency medical operations and to promote citizen interaction with the firefighters and firemedics of the department. The program is designed to enhance awareness of the department’s capabilities and limitations; develop realistic expectations of response times from the point of dispatch; and to develop a cooperative relationship between firefighters and the citizens they serve.
Persons interested in applying for the next Citizens Academy are asked to call the Training Academy at 208-2868, check the department’s website at www.cityofmobile.org/fire, or come by the Academy to obtain an application at 860 Owens Street. The next Academy is planned for sometime in September of this year.
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