Summerville Fire and Rescue opens citizens fire academy applications

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Summerville Fire and Rescue is now accepting applications for their annual citizens fire academy.

It’s a seven-week program aimed to give people a better understanding of what firefighters do.

The Summerville Citizens Fire Academy is open to those 21 and older who live in the town. Applications will be accepted up until September 14th and the program is set to start October 18th.

The Summerville Citizens Fire Academy made its first debut about four years ago.

Fire Chief Richard Waring says it’s about educating their neighbors on what services they do and sometimes don’t provide.

They’ll cover everything from the cost of doing businesses to the types of incidents they respond to. Waring says it’s important for the community to know where their tax dollars are going.

Once a week for seven weeks the group will meet and learn the ins and outs of a Summerville firefighter.

Waring says as the needs of the community are constantly evolving, from an emergency response standpoint it’s important to stay on top of them.

“Fire departments get called for everything from something as simple as a cat in a tree, to a building that’s fallen and been hit by a vehicle. When we get there, we must know what to do to solve the problem. So just kind of staying ahead of the game and knowing what to do for our citizens to make sure we are serving them and meeting their needs,” Waring says.

Through feedback from this program the department can help citizens understand what their goals are, and in return can share what their expectations are of a fire crew.

This program is different from a traditional fire academy. If anyone is interested in taking it a step further and applying to the department reach out to the station.

Click here to apply for the citizens fire academy.

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