The Ruston Fire Department has announced that they will be hosting their first Citizens Fire Academy in April 2025.
David Wells, Director of Emergency Medical Services at the Ruston Fire Department shared: “We’re hoping to deliver a good program, and then we’ll have plenty of citizens wanting to continue to do it and grow the program.”
The Citizens Fire Academy will give those who participate a behind-the-scenes look of how the fire department operates and what kind of services they offer.
The academy will take place every Tuesday starting April 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. Wells said applications are already starting to come in.
He added: “We’re looking for this first class to have a minimum of 10 for this program and then grow the program in the future and keep having it every year.”
During the program, participants will learn about a process called vehicle extrication, a process used to remove people from a vehicle in the event of the crash.
They will also learn how to put out fires and have hands-on experiences in the aerial fire truck and learn how to perform CPR.
Wells shared: “That training is important in any emergency situation, and the more citizens that we have that are trained on basic life saving skills will just do nothing but benefit the department and the community.”
After the program ends on May 13, there will be a graduation ceremony for them to receive a certificate for their contributions to the program.
Wells explained: “It’s important to see what their fire department does and the emergency services that they’re able to deliver and learn where their tax dollars are being spent,”, when discussing why it was important for citizens to take part in the Academy.
The first Citizens Fire Academy in April 2025 will be hosted by Ruston Fire Department, with the program offering training to participants and giving them hands on experience.
