6651 Indiana Street, Arvada Colorado
Charlie Johlgren - Training Chief
Captain Todd Hill - Shift Training Officer - A Shift
Lieutenant Scott Stringham - Shift Training Officer - B Shift
Lieutenant Robb Roome - Shift Training Officer - C shift
Welcome to AFPD's state-of-the-art training Center. The two and one-half acre site and 16,000 square foot building doubles as the district’s primary training and maintenance facility. The facility is provided with a 6 story training tower and repelling platform, 3 propane fueled training aids, 4 flammable liquid fire pits, a drafting pit, 4 fire hydrants, a 99 seat amphitheatre, a 30 seat classroom a 15 seat classroom a command training center and a detached two story burn house with sprinkler and standpipe connections.
The responsibility of the Training Division is to design and implement programs through which Department members obtain and maintain the skills necessary to provide the safest and most effective emergency services to the community. We support the fire service and the community in fire safety training and education. This responsibility begins the day the new recruits start and continues throughout their careers.
The training program is divided into two basic parts, the recruit academy and the ongoing station training. In addition to these areas, the Training Division arranges a number of specialized training classes each year.
The recruit training is conducted during a 6 week or 17-week academy. The 6 week academy is conducted for recruits already state certified as Fire Fighter I. During the academy the recruit receives training in all aspects of structural firefighting, as well as vehicle extraction and hazardous material training to the operations level. Upon successful completion of the academy and all testing procedures, the recruit is certified as a Fire Fighter I with IFSAC accreditation. Twenty seven recruits graduated from the recruit academy in 2010. They completed over 400 hours of training in:
• Structural Firefighting
• Fire Fighter Safety
• SCBA
• Hose Evolutions
• Haz-Mat
• EMS
The station trainings address basic firefighting skills and are designed to maintain and advance all fire ground skills, along with covering new equipment and new developments or techniques in fire fighting. One format is the squad training, a four-hour class taught five times each year on a different topic:
• Fire Fighter Safety
• Driver’s Training
• Structural Firefighting
• Hose Evolutions
• SCBA
• Haz-Mat
• EMS
The other format is station training. These trainings completed on a daily basis at each station. Topics include: • Station/Area and Equipment Familiarization• Pump Operations• Truck Qualifications• Driver Training• Additional "In" Station Trainings In addition to the regular training classes, a number of extra and special team training classes were offered at the training center or at other facilities.
The following special team training was also offered: • Ice Rescue • Swift Water • Hazardous Material • Technical Rescue • Child Car Seat Safety Program
All career firefighters are certified as
Fire Fighter II
Hazardous Materials Operations Level
Driver Operator
Emergency Medical Technician
All officers, in addition to the above are certified as
Fire Officer I
Fire Instructor I
Fire Inspector I
All reserve firefighters are certified as
Fire Fighter I
Hazardous Materials Operations Level
Emergency Medical Technician
The Training Division also strives to serve as a resource to the fire community and the citizens of the Fire District. Training programs for citizens are conducted at the training center. Citizen training includes: Citizens Fire Academy • Jefferson County Youth Leadership Day
A number of outside agencies also utilize the training center: Red Rocks Community College • Arvada Police• Jefferson county Sheriff • Adams - Jeffco Haz-Mat • Denver Regional Council of Governments • Several local area Fire Departments.
Arvada Fire Hosts an annual auto extrication training, AUTO-X, this training is attended by firefighters from throughout the western region.
