In recognition of the diverse nature of services that the Norfolk County Fire Department provides to the community, a comprehensive training program has been developed to equip and train staff with the skills they will need to meet the challenges that they will face as firefighters.
The core components of the training program have been specifically designed for the specific needs of our community, with a view to developing firefighters who possess a very high degree of competency across a broad spectrum of services.
Training Components
The core components of training our firefighters include the following subject material:
Apparatus and Equipment
Radio Systems and Communications
Health and Safety
Emergency Patient Care
Emergency Driving
Chemistry of Fire
Fire Suppression Agents
Water Supply
Hose Lines, Fire Streams and Related Appliances
Ground Cover Fires
Structural Fire Operations
Ground Ladder Operations
Ventilation
Forcible Entry
Self Contained Breathing Apparatus
Structural Search and Rescue
Flashover
Ropes and Knots
Salvage Operations
Overhaul Operations
Fire Scene Investigation (including evidence preservation)
Fire Protection Systems
Building Construction
Vehicle Extrication
Special Rescue Operations (including water/ice, and confined space rescue
Recruit Training
The program, which typically takes twelve to fourteen months to complete, is delivered by the department training officer and a team of specialized instructors ( certified and seasoned firefighters) in two to three-hour sessions. Additional weekend training sessions are held for selected components that require more intensive instruction. Recruit firefighters will also participate in "regular" weekly fire department training sessions once they are trained in the fundamentals of firefighting skills. Recruit firefighters are gradually integrated into normal fire department operational activities (emergency responses) as they develop the necessary skill sets to perform in these environments.
Certifications
In 2015 The Norfolk County Fire Department transitioned from the Ontario Fire Service Standards to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
standards and ProBoard™ Accreditation. These international standards establish the performance and skills expectations of all NCFD Firefighters.
Norfolk County Firefighter Certifications include;
• NFPA 1001 – Firefighter Level 1 & 2
• NFPA 1006 – Surface Water Rescue & Ice Rescue level 1 & 2
• NFPA 472 – Hazardous Materials Awareness, Operations and Technician
• NFPA 1002 - Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver Operations (Pump operations)
• NFPA 1021 – Fire Officer Level 1, 2, 3 & 4
• NFPA 1031 – Fire Inspector Level 1 & 2
• NFPA 1033 – Fire Investigator
• NFPA 1035 – Fire and Life Safety Educator level 1 & 2
• NFPA 1035 – Public Information Officer
• NFPA 1041 – Fire Instructor Level 1 & 2
