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Pennsylvania State Fire Academy

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Pennsylvania State Fire Academy

Pennsylvania State Fire Academy This is an unofficial page of the PA State Fire Academy. Please visit www.OSFC.PA.gov for informatio
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07/22/2024

PA weekend wrapped up last night around 1700 hours. In total, 248 students from the Pennsylvania fire service attended multiple fire, EMS, hazmat, and command level classes. Special thanks to Terri Brooks for her all-year long work on organizing the weekend and memorial service.

Here are just a few of the photos taken by Chantel Langan, our photographer for the weekend. In the coming weeks, when the entire album is done, a link will be shared with everyone including the class photos if you chose to have one taken.

We hope to see everyone plus a few new faces in 2025!

07/22/2024

SAVE THE DATE: July 18-20, 2025 for next year’s PA Weekend at the National Fire Academy!

Classes are listed on the flyer, and applications are being accepted starting on March 3rd, 2025. For those that were here before, we hope to see you back again with a friend! For those that have never been to PA Weekend, you need to save the date and attend to understand just what you’re missing!

07/21/2024

PA weekend at the NFA is in full swing - classes are underway today yet but here’s a couple photos from yesterday’s classes and memorial. Academy staff also took a minute to take a photo with Deputy Fire Administrator Tonya Hoover whose last day is next Friday before she begins enjoying retirement!

Congratulations Tonya, you deserve it!

07/19/2024

Resident and adjunct Academy cadre are busy checking in the 250+ Pennsylvania firefighters that are attending the 43rd annual PA weekend at the U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Academy. Classes start this afternoon and run through Sunday!

06/29/2024

Structure 3/4 wrapped up this afternoon with the final day of live fire scenarios for both classes. Crews worked through truck and engine company skills on Wednesday in their crew assignments before beginning live fire scenarios on Thursday. In all, crews completed ten full scale scenarios from dispatch to debrief allowing each scenario to be a practical learning environment for all levels and positions.

06/26/2024

Structure 3, also known as “structural fireground tactics”, is a program where the students just get to be firemen for the week at the best seat in the fire service - the back seat of a fire truck.

Structure 4, also known as “structural fireground tactical officers”, allows students to fulfill a role as company and command level officers during drills, training, and finally during simulated emergencies.

Yesterday was the second day of structure 4 and the first day of structure 3 academy programs, but it was also the first day that the 3 and 4 programs got to work together. Crews performed introductions, discussed strategy and tactics, and loaded apparatus and buildings for scenarios under the direction of the structure 4 officers.

The academy cadre of instructors? They get to do what they enjoy most - watch the operations unfold and critique it with the officers after while occasionally throwing in some “kinks” that need worked around.

Class runs all week finishing on Friday with live fire scenarios and chief officers from around the state riding with the structure 4 student officers to provide guidance and direction.

05/20/2024

Academy cadre finished up late Sunday with the second truck 1 academy of the year. 19 students participated in the first class where a new VES station was added using the flashover connex to produce realistic and reproducible conditions for each student to cycle through a search drill. On average, it took each person 1 minute and 30 seconds to enter, secure the door, search the bedroom, remove a victim through the window, and come back out.

05/19/2024

The most water we will flow at the PA Truck Academy is 60 gallons - 2.5 gallons at a time.

04/30/2024

This weekend, instructor candidates and adjunct instructors met in lewistown for the second weekend of the fire instructor development program (ZFID). Candidates were shadowed by adjunct instructors to evaluate and coach them on the roles and responsibilities of their positions. In total, 21 candidates completed the program.

Of particular note, this will be the last ZFID program resident instructor Tim Archer instructs as he assumes a new role with the State Fire Academy. It’s estimated that Instructor Archer has trained more than 1,000 of the state instructors over the last 25 years of leading or assisting with the ZFID program.

04/06/2024

This week at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy in Lewistown students from all over the state gathered for our Forcible Entry Academy course that lasted 3 days! They were on a mission to MASTER the art of gaining entry using various techniques and methods.

Day 1 kicked off in the classroom with discussions about tools, doors, and sizing up the challenges of forcible entry. Then, it was time to put theory into practice! Students tackled different difficulty levels on our five forcible entry props. Students were kept busy getting sets and reps required to master the irons!!!

🔒 Day 2 was all about locks and through-the-lock techniques. The students forced cylinder locks, doorknobs, deadbolts, padlocks and other challenges but didn't back down! They also continued to use their irons to overcome obstacles such as drop bars, hinges, and window bars.

And then came Day 3... CUTTING DAY! Saws and torches were 🔥BLAZING🔥 as students cut through locks, doors, bolts, chains, and fences!

It was a great week if you are interested in this program and many of our other great classes taking place throughout the year at the academy check out our webpage for course descriptions and registration information!!

04/01/2024

During the week March 18-21, 2024, resident and adjunct instructors debuted the first ever Engine Academy at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy (PSFA). This program built upon the long-standing PSFA resident course of Engine Company Operations at Residential Fires (most commonly known as Structures 1) and brought in the latest research of UL Fire Safety Research Institute to educate 22 Pennsylvania Fire Service students from all across the Commonwealth in the latest methods and techniques of the modern engine company.

The classroom portion of the program was pushed out to pre-course work utilizing UL-FSRI's Evidence-based Structural Firefighting program. This allowed the students to be on the training grounds for hands-on training and live fire exercises for all four days.

The students drilled on a wide variety of engine company skills, getting back to the basics with hose loads, hose line stretches, engine company ladders, and residential forcible entry. They then performed various skills using simulators and props to perform hands-on water mapping, air entrainment demonstration, and enhanced hydraulic ventilation techniques. These skills were performed utilizing 1.75", 2.0", and 2.5" hose lines with various nozzles.

The last 12-hours were spent performing live-fire exercises with limited resources. The students performed 'run-ins' with two 2-person engine companies, putting all the skills from throughout the week to use under live fire conditions. They were challenged with scenarios of large setbacks with leader lines and long line drills.

If you haven’t visited the Fire Academy recently, make sure to check out the wide array of world-class programs currently underway.

03/08/2024

This week, resident programs at the academy opened for the year with the first offering of the Truck I Academy. 22 students from career and volunteer departments spent two 10-hour days at the academy practicing truck company skills. The class also contains an online self-pace course teaching the importance of truck work before practicing it on the live-fire scenarios.

02/01/2024

The Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner and IAFC - International Association of Fire Chiefs have partnered together to provide FREE recruitment and retention training opportunities throughout Pennsylvania!

Although the flyer links don’t work due to Facebook, you can find all the PA events and even ones in other states for registration here: https://www.iafc.org/events/upcoming-events

Please register quickly as instructors need to make travel arrangements for successful sessions!

01/17/2024

Enrollment is still being accepted for the two Air Monitoring Classes behing ran January 27th and January 30th in Allison Park and Duncansville! The class will make you more familiar with using your department's multi-gas monitor with lecture and hands-on information. You can registered for the classes through the flyers attached!

01/04/2024

State Evaluators! Check your email for mandatory evaluator workshop schedule for 2024. The workshops are being conducted live via teams at the ETAs throughout the state and need registered for prior to the event. Check your email from emails from "EM, PSFA Certification Program" and/or your local ETA.

01/04/2024

Updated 2024 calendar for the PA State Fire Academy! Included are some corrections and dates/locations for the ZFID Programs this year!

12/06/2023

There were mistakes with the previous flyers. Here are the updated flyers for the air monitoring programs in Allegheny and Blair counties. Sign up for class today!

12/03/2023

Western PA Firefighters! Check out these two air monitoring class sessions being held in January in Blair and Alleghany counties. These classes apply to every fire department and the air monitors you carry for gas leaks, CO emergencies, or any other hazmats. At the end of the class, you'll feel more comfortable with your air monitors! Register ASAP!

12/02/2023

There were some questions about registration for Truck Academy classes due to the online portion of the class. When you apply for the truck academy, you will receive an email enrolling you in the online portion of the class. You will not see "Enrolled" for the class until after the online portion is completed.

Reminder: All PSFA Academy classes are open for registration at http://psfa.acadisonline.com so sign up today!

12/02/2023

INSTRUCTORS:

If you received emails this morning about certifications expiring from the ACADIS system from the PSFA, there's no new action needed on your part. The certifications will be updated as part of the regular process when your instructor reports are submitted to the state fire academy.

11/23/2023

The 2024 PSFA Resident training calendar is out! Registration for class is online through Acadis this year. Go to http://psfa.acadisonline.com to register for classes! NOTE: ZFID Classes will be published in January (see January calendar for release date)

11/17/2023

This week, truck academy I finished up the final burns of the 2023 year on the PSFA drill grounds. Crews conducted basic truck skills on Tuesday and escalated to live-fire skills on Wednesday morning before wrapping up with live-fire scenarios Wednesday afternoon. Although the days are long with skills finishing after sunset, crews took home valuable skills for riding truck companies.

The 2024 schedule is coming soon! Sign up for some of the best classes available in Pennsylvania!

11/11/2023

Last weekend, PSFA adjunct staff completed the final mobile flashover class of the year in Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County. While the 2023 mobile training season is open, it’ll only be a couple months until it’s back on the road for 2024 classes. Schedule your area today with the PSFA!

11/01/2023

The PSFA received their new mobile fire trainer and conducted the initial training for adjunct instructors. Next year, this trailer will be sent out for training primarily in areas that lack the availability of a fixed facility located within a reasonable distance. Stay tuned on info on how to request and schedule the new mobile fire training trailer!

10/29/2023

Friday, crews finished up the week-long Fire Operations at Large Structures class (AKA: Structure 2). During the structure 2 program, crews focus on the use of standpipes and high-rise packs, the importance of ventilation and clearing stairwells, and portable ground ladders. To take Structure 2, students must first complete Engine Company Operations at Residential Building Fires (AKA Structure 1).

10/25/2023

Last weekend, 30 instructor candidates from fifteen counties throughout Pennsylvania arrived at the State Fire Academy in Lewistown for the second and final session of the Suppression Instructor Development Program. The class was a culmination of two classes that started earlier this year and were combined for the final session and burns.

All candidates were rotated through the various instructor and student roles required to conduct structural burn sessions while being evaluated by adjunct and resident academy staff.

Congratulations Spring and Fall 2023 ZFID program graduates on earning your PA suppression instructor credentials!

10/25/2023

A few spots are still available for our Officers Command course that will be presented at Bucks C.C.C. - Department of Public Safety Training & Certification in November. Registration deadline has been extended.

10/25/2023

On October 25th, 2005 Captain Bob Gallardy from the Altoona Fire Department died while conducting training at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy. Captain Gallardy was an adjunct fire instructor with the academy assisting with the Suppression Instructor Development Program that qualifies new instructors to conduct live-fire training in Pennsylvania.

Eighteen years later, we still remember Captain Gallardy at each suppression instructor development class. A memorial in his name and statue is located at the top of the drill grounds overlooking the training buildings. Captain Bob Gallardy would ave been 65 years old this year.

The full NIOSH report of the incident can be read at: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200531.html

10/06/2023

Truck Academy 2 finished up yesterday after three grueling days of truck skills and truck company scenarios for 20 firefighters from around all corners of the state! Students spent the days refining skills on vertical ventilation and various roofing materials, forcible entry beyond the front door including window bars and HUD windows, search skills, use of TICs, fire behavior, and operating from an aerial and tower. In this program, we’re still not sure who works harder - the students making the grabs or the instructors taking the mannequins back to the 4th floor, but everyone went home tired!

08/22/2023

Pennsylvania Firefighters! Have you signed up on the PA firefighter registry yet?? Once registered, you’ll be able to view and download certificates from previous State Fire Academy trainings and certifications. You can also view and sign up for State Fire Academy classes and certification programs across the state!

Sign up today at the below link and share it with all your departments and personnel as we transition to the new system!

http://psfa.acadisonline.com/

Address

1150 Riverside Drive
Lewistown, PA
17044

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm

Telephone

+18004594096

Website

facebook.com

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