Toledo Fire & Rescue Department firefighter class in full swing
This is the first in a photo series about the current Toledo Fire & Rescue Academy class
Story by Paula Wethington | Photos Courtesy of Toledo Fire & Rescue
TOLEDO – Three words that describe what a first responder might do at the scene of an emergency are also applicable to the academy training that Toledo Fire & Rescue Department recruits are working through.
“We crawl, walk, run,” said Lt. John Rodriguez, who is among the TFRD instructors leading the current academy class.
Fire Class 298 started its training Aug. 16 with 30 recruits. They meet 40 hours a week, with much of the training at Owens Community College, with some lessons at Maumee Fire Division’s burn tower.
The first couple of weeks featured classroom instruction, getting assigned their turnout gear and a legacy class run. The training pace ramped up fast, and lessons soon included facing live fire.
Once the training is done, they will also learn about handling hazardous materials and drive the vehicles they’ll use on duty. It all wraps up on Feb. 28.
It is Toledo Fire & Rescue Department tradition that veteran personnel train the next batch of recruits.
“We can train them our way, the Toledo way, but always to the Ohio standard,” Capt. Michael Romstadt said about the academy class he is leading. “There’s a certain number of hours they have to get through the state.”
The 16-week firefighter training session will end Dec. 6. Their are 11 among them who also need Emergency Medical Technician-Basic trainin,g then move into that curriculum.
TFRD currently has 579 TFRD personnel among its 18 stations. The department’s service area is primarily the city; a mutual aid pact with neighboring fire districts means that sometimes a Toledo crew takes a call just outside the city while another department’s staff is busy.
The number of recruits and the training schedule has varied over the decades and is based on the number of spots they expect to have open each time. For example, Rodriguez, who is also working with the current academy class, said he was in the third class that took place in 1997.
In more recent years, TRFD has scheduled one academy a year, starting in the summer. They already expect 40 recruits next year.
Romstadt said the admission criteria includes a high school diploma or GED, background check, medical evaluation and agility test.
Once his or her training is complete, each recruit will spend the first year taking turns at three different stations on the department’s 24-hours-on / 48-hours-off work schedule. Those who have a head start with current EMT or paramedic credentials will start their first station assignments this winter.
