Miami, June 30, 2022- Miami Dade College’s (MDC) renowned School of Justice, Public Safety and Law Studies recently began its second cohort of Fire Fighter Minimum Standards training classes. The MDC Fire Academy provides vocational training to prepare tomorrow’s Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) certified firefighters. The program is the only academy in Miami-Dade County to train MDFR personnel.
Last year, MDC conducted its inaugural class of the fire academy training program that prepares trainees for certification as a firefighter in the State of Florida after 492 hours of training. During the training, students learn all aspects of firefighting including fire behavior, building construction, hydraulics, use of Personal Protective Equipment as well as practical and live burn trainings.
“As a program facilitator, we are excited to collaborate with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to offer this unique and vital program, where we serve once again as the College of opportunity for so many and continue training the heroes of tomorrow for our community,” said MDC North Campus Interim President Fermin Vazquez.
Upon completion, trainees attend a Standard Operating Procedures training to acclimate to MDFR procedures. Employment of firefighters is projected to grow eight percent from 2020 to 2030. Many of those openings are a result of the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, due to retirement or the pandemic.
The program prepares graduates with the technical skills needed to fulfill roles and positions in the fire service and emergency services industry. MDC has a nearly 100 percent pass rate for the State of Florida Firefighter Certification test. MDC’s Fire Service instructors are among the most experienced instructors in the state and represent fire departments in the tri-county area. The instructors’ expertise includes Hazardous Materials Technician, Urban Search and Rescue, Flight Medic, Marine Firefighting, Technical Rescue.
MDC’s renowned School of Justice at the North Campus has been training and educating public safety professionals for the past 41 years, domestically and internationally. More than 80 percent of all public safety professionals in Miami-Dade County have received training at the School of Justice.
The school offers associates degrees in criminal justice; a bachelor in applied science degree in public safety management with ten specialized tracks; college credit certificates in homeland security and crime scene technology; basic law enforcement, corrections and firefighter certifications; private security certifications; and specialized executive leadership training and assessment services.
For more information, visit https://www.mdc.edu/justice/fire-science/fire-fighter-certification.aspx.