The Knox County Fire Training Academy will be hosting Firefighter 1 and 2 certification training starting in January and running through May. Firefighters and citizens interested in volunteering for their local fire departments are welcome to attend the courses, and pursue certification. Instruction will cover basic fire fighting, investigation techniques, vehicle extrication, fire origin and behavior, fighting wildland fires and more.

All students who wish to enroll in the academy must first pass a physical agility assessment, which is scheduled for Sept. 20 at 8 a.m. at the Camden-Rockport Middle School. A practice test will be held the week before on Sept. 13. All students are strongly encouraged to attend. Required items to bring for the test include full protective gear (helmet, coat, pants, gloves and boots) and self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

“Firefighting is not an easy job and it is not for everyone,” the academy states. “The PT test is not designed to exclude anyone from the fire service.  It is designed to help us, as instructors, evaluate your abilities in a controlled environment so no one gets hurt.”     

The courses will run from January to the end of May, with classes scheduled every Wednesday and every other Saturday.

This is the second year that the Knox County Fire Training Academy is holding certification classes, based on growing demand by local firefighters for training.

“I graduated Camden Hills Regional High School in 2012, and will be pursuing Firefighter 1 and 2 certification,” said Matt Heath, an on-call firefighter. “I ran the Run For Your Life Emergency Service Challenge in 2013 and 2014 at the Camden Snow Bowl and that event inspired me to join the Camden Fire Department.”

Instructors include area fire chiefs and firefighters from Knox County fire departments (as well as Bangor, Waldoboro and Jefferson); forest ranger Scott Maddox; Walter Morris, program manager of the Maine Fire Service Institute; and Mary-Ann MacMaster, an investigator with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

This year’s training is coordinated by Camden Assistant Fire Chief Andrew Lowe. A website has been created for the certification program. Visit www.2072304329.com to enroll and learn more about the academy.  On Facebook.

The academy is a function of the Knox County Mutual Aid Association, which comprises all Knox County towns, as well as Lincolnville and Waldoboro.