City of Waycross

Training Center

The training officer is responsible for the training of the firefighters. The training officer arranges all firefighters to get a minimum of 240 training hours a year. There is a wide variety of training that is conducted in-house with some outside training at the State Fire Academy. All shift lieutenants are required to be state-certified fire instructors. The training consists of all State, Federal, and OSHA requirements such as: Haz mat, confined space, blood-borne pathogens, etc. Other topics covered include basic firefighting, apparatus engineer driver training, emergency medical care, leadership. All training is outlined to meet or exceed the NFPA requirements.

Training Requirements

The following are the training requirements for the Waycross Fire Department to meet Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council, as well as the Insurance Services Office (ISO) annual training requirements.

New Hires

• New Hire Firefighters receive a minimum of 240 hours of training in their first year.

Annual Officer Training (in addition to annual certified firefighter training)

• 12 hours of officer-related training as it relates to structure fires and emergency scenes

Training Links

• Georgia Public Safety Training Center
• Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council
• U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Academy
• Georgia State Firefighters Association
• Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs

Additional Annual Specialized Training Requirements

• Arson Investigator – 40 hours in addition to certified firefighter training and rank held
• Fire Safety Educator – 10 hours in addition to certified firefighter training and rank held
• Fire Inspector – 24 hours in addition to certified firefighter training and rank held

The Waycross Fire Department also requires prerequisite training for promotion eligibility for each rank.