Eighteen firefighter recruits have started a 20-week training course with Kent-based Puget Sound Fire.
The agency welcomed the new recruits to the department on Aug. 26. Chief Brian Carson, Deputy Chief Mark Jones and Deputy Chief Rick Cox met Aug. 27 with the recruit firefighters and their guests over dinner and shared with everyone their philosophy on service to the community and the fire department culture, according to a Puget Sound Fire Facebook post.
Carson gave the oath of office to the recruits as their family members watched. Two firefighters shared information with the recruits and their families on the Puget Sound Fire’s mentorship program and what to expect during the recruit academy.
During “Zero” week of the academy, the recruit firefighters completed onboarding paperwork, were issued their uniforms and personal protective equipment and practiced putting on their bunker gear and self-contained breathing apparatus as they prepare for the fire academy.
They joined 44 other recruit firefighters from area fire departments Aug. 28 for their first day of the South King County Fire Training Consortium Recruit Academy 21.
The recruits finished up the week Aug. 29 as they received an orientation on the recruit academy, received their study materials and completed the American Heart Association High Performance CPR training.
During Week 1, they will attend lectures on introduction to the fire service and safety, personal protection equipment, communications and incident scene operations. They will complete hands-on training with their personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus. They will close out the week by taking their Block 1 written test, covering four chapters and completing their first fitness test.
The 20-week academy runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday with an hour for lunch. Academy instruction occurs at a variety of locations, including but not limited to:
• South King County Fire Training Consortium main drill ground: Puget Sound Fire Training Center, 24523 116th Ave. SE, Kent
• South King County Fire Training Consortium classrooms: 20811 84th Ave. S., Kent
• Washington State Fire Training Academy: 50810 SE Grouse Ridge Road, North Bend
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