Overview
Two field education supervisors manage the statewide Local-Level Training Program. Each year, this program delivers more than 5,000 programs across the commonwealth. The majority of the programs are conducted right in the fire department station.
Types of Courses Offered
The Local-Level Training Program offers a wide variety of suppression and non-suppression courses for emergency personnel, including:
- Structural/Operations
- Hazardous Materials
- Rescue
- Industrial
- Fire Investigation
- Fire Police
- Wildland
Courses are delivered upon request in your station, on a schedule that meets your local department’s needs.
Request A Training
Step 1: Pick a Training Agency
If there's a training you'd like to have for your department, the next step is to choose an educational training agency that serves your county.
Step 2: Apply
Next, fill out an application and send it to your chosen training agency. Most require at least six weeks of lead-up time. They'll let you know if your requested course is accredited.
What Happens Next?
- The training agency will contact the instructor and make arrangements for the class to be conducted on the dates requested.
- The instructor and/or the training agency will contact you and confirm that the course request has been approved and an instructor has been assigned.
- If your organization wishes to totally sponsor the course, including the hiring and payment of the instructor, the lead instructor will submit a course request online using Acadis for review and approval by the field supervisor.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about the trainings.
Instruction consists of classroom discussions, demonstrations, lectures, simulation, small group activity, practical applications and drills necessary for the development of proficiency in the course’s subject matter.
The State Fire Academy determines the precise content of each course and sets the minimum standards of accreditation for the course.
Educational Training Agencies hire instructors and deliver the course, set attendance requirements, and enforce course completion criteria.
The curriculum includes 130+ separate courses, from two to 66 hours in length.
Typical schedules would be three to four hours per night, once or twice a week, and/or eight hours a day on a Saturday/Sunday.
Course lengths are based on educational considerations, such as the amount of classroom and practical activity, the complexity of the content, safety issues, and similar concerns.
Course schedules are quite flexible, and are usually arranged by mutual consent of the instructor, the requesting organization, and the educational training agency.
In keeping with the "as needed, where needed" philosophy of the program, class sessions are normally held at a local fire station where the necessary apparatuses, tools, and appliances for proper training are available to the instructor and class.
Many course offerings also are held at county or regional fire academies or training events.
Educational training agencies sometimes charge for course materials (student manuals, workbooks, skill sheets, and supplies).
They also might charge a registration fee, whether or not minimum enrollment is met.
Fees will vary depending on the policies of each individual training agency, but courses are offered tuition-free by many of these institutions.
The minimum age for enrollment in any class is generally 14 years old.
Any course designated as a suppression course has a minimum enrollment age requirement of 18.
Each training agency sets their own policies for minimum enrollment age and number of students for the courses they deliver.
An initial minimum enrollment of 15 to 20 students generally is required.
An agency might charge a pro-rated fee to compensate for enrollment below these minimums. Should enrollment fall below a predetermined number, the course might be discontinued. A maximum class size also is established for some courses.
Students must meet three criteria in order to successfully complete a course:
- Attend 80% of the scheduled class sessions. Missed training sessions in excess of the 20% must be made up. The instructor is obliged to notify the educational training agency of the names of the students who have made up missed classes, and are therefore eligible for certificates.
- Second, students must successfully complete all skill sheets assigned to the course.
- Third, students must successfully pass the final written test, when required.
A student that meets all three criteria will be awarded a certificate at the conclusion of the course.
Students are responsible for the material presented in each class or module.
It is each student's responsibility to make up assignments and/or attendance in subject modules as required for a given class or course.
Individual student requirements and conduct shall be in accordance with established State Fire Academy and educational training agency policies, which will be provided to each student.
Request a training equivalency recognition to receive course completion equivalency for training obtained outside normal training opportunities in Pennsylvania.
