Decatur Holding Its First Citizen's Fire Academy

If you want to know more about how the City of Decatur operates, consider enrolling in the Citizen's Fire Academy.

Fire Academy classes will take place at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday from May 3 through June 7.

This is Decatur's first Citizens Academy dedicated to the fire department. Previous programs such as the Citizen's Public Safety Academy dealt witht he police and fire departments.

Interested folks can find more details and an application form on the city website.

These classes will give residents a chance to learn exactly how the fire department works. And an email from the fire department explains another benefit, if you're the kind of person whose pulse starts racing whenever you hear a siren.

Graduates will be in a position to assist the Fire Department as Decatur CAPS (Citizens Assisting Public Safety) volunteers, allowing them to actively and productively support the department in things ranging from emergency operations to community outreach. Active volunteering at the completion of the class is encouraged, but not required.  

During the six-week program, participants will become familiar with the personnel and mission of the Department and be trained in a wide variety of skills ranging from CPR and blood pressure screenings to chain saw safety and many other skills. They will also have a chance to ride on emergency calls.

“We’re not always putting out the fire,” said CAPS Fire Coordinator Brent Orth.