Application Process

Interested applicants begin the process by completing the Application Form at the bottom of this section and return it to the Chief of the FIPFD either in person or by email to recruitment@fipfd.org.  The applicant will meet first with the Officers and then the full Membership of the Department where both parties can get questions answered.  The Application is then submitted to the Board of Fire Commissioners for approval.  Following this an arson convictions background check is performed and the Applicant undergoes a complete physical with the Department’s occupational health physician at the doctor’s offices.  This physical includes respiratory, vision, EKG, hearing, blood test and other standardized tests including a drug test.  Upon successful completion of the above the Applicant commences to take part in Department Training.

            Click Here for APPLICATION FORM

Department Training

The Applicant becomes a Probationary Firefighter for the first year of their training under the supervision of the Lieutenant.  The Lieutenant introduces the probationary member to preliminary aspects of firefighting and assign them turnout gear and other personal protective equipment.  They are shown how to wear the protective equipment and become familiarized with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).  The probationary member is given a plectron (Motorola dispatch radio pager) and is expected to respond to alarms and attend regular department meetings and drills during their training.

Firefighter1 Training at Suffolk County Fire Academy

All Probationary Firefighters are expected to complete the Firefighter1 course through the Suffolk County Fire Academy located near Yaphank, Long Island.  This certification is a National Fire Protection Association accredited course offering NYS certification and is designed to instruct introductory firefighters in the skills and knowledge they will need to start their volunteer service while being augmented with regular training conducted by their own fire department.

Firefighter1 course content has grown over the years and was redesigned in 2014 to offer several paths to completion.  The Firefighter1 Course consists of classroom or online firefighting subjects, three sessions on CPR (unless already certified), incident command procedures using three online FEMA National Incident Management System modules, and three sessions of Hazardous Materials Operations training. Additionally, there are six (6) Hands-On Training exercises that provide pragmatic firsthand skills.  There is a 150 question written final examination that requires a 70% mark to pass and a set of six short practical skills tests that must also be successfully completed in front of an Academy instructor.  The Department provides the Probationary member with the course textbook, gear to complete the course, and travel costs will be reimbursed upon successful completion.

Firefighter1 is offered several times per year at various locations.  It is offered in the Standard Classroom and hands-on training format over 15 weeks, a Hybrid course with 5 classroom/8 online modules over 14 weeks, and a 2 week “Bootcamp” approach that covers the same topics on an accelerated two-class-per-day basis.  More information and course availability is shown on the Academy website at www.scfa-li.org/   An example of some of the course materials can be found at the below link with more up-to-date versions available for download on the Academy website.

            Click Here for SCFA FF1 Example Forms

 

Email Link: recruitment@fipfd.org