Crime & Safety
Do You Have What It Takes?
The Citizens Fire Academy is now taking applications, and this year includes Dormont and Castle Shannon as well as Mt. Lebanon.
What started as a Mt. Lebanon initiative could now benefit .
The Citizens Fire Academy will be held at the Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Center this fall, and this year, Mt. Lebanon has asked the fire departments of Dormont and Castle Shannon to join in.
“We’re all excited about it,” said Deputy Chief Jeff Arnold. “Right now our membership is down and we’re trying to come up with a way to get people’s interest up. This is a good way to do it.”
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The Citizens Fire Academy gives those interested in knowing more about fire departments the chance to experience the job for themselves.
Participants will tour local fire departments, wear the gear, use the Jaws of Life in a mock vehicle extraction, go on ride-alongs, and learn fire safety. They also will be trained in First Aid, CPR and the use of AEDs, or automated external defibrillators.
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“You’ve got some people who think they want to do this, but then they go through the academy and decide they don’t want to,” Arnold said. “Then you have some people who decide it’s really for them.”
The Dormont VFD requires that all members live within a two-mile radius of Dormont. Arnold said different fire departments have different rules, but programs like the Citizens Academy give residents a good look at what the job entails and whether it’s a job they’d want to do.
“This has benefitted Mt. Lebanon for a long time, and now they’ve decided to branch out and include Dormont and Castle Shannon,” Arnold said. “We’re hoping to get some positive feedback from this.”
Interested? Here’s the info:
- What: Citizens Fire Academy.
- When: Wednesdays, Sept. 5 through Nov. 3, from 7 to 10 p.m.
- Where: Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Center.
- Who qualifies: Residents and business owners from Mt. Lebanon, Dormont and Castle Shannon, age 18 and older.
- Details: Mt. Lebanon Fire Department website.
*Space is limited. For questions and applications, call Beth Rose at 412-343-3402.
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