Carson City Fire Department seeks participants for inaugural citizens academy

The Carson City Fire Department will begin its inaugural Citizens Academy, to help acquaint 25 lucky locals with the department’s workings and to make them more safety-aware, in early April.

“We currently have a new-recruits fire academy. We figured, let’s do one for the citizens,” Deputy Emergency Manager Stacey Belt said.

The academy will cover hands-on activities such as fire extinguisher training and vehicle extrication, as well as which household chemicals are hazardous both alone and in tandem.

Part of the academy will teach citizens how the department and other complexes in Carson operate, she said.

Participants will be trained on what 911 operators are going to ask and see what firefighters do when they’re not putting out fires — mainly, answering medical calls.

“We are in an era of fiscal responsibility, and we serve the citizens of Carson City. People see us when they’re at their most vulnerable,” Belt said.

Both the fire chief and the assistant fire chief will be involved in the program.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” Belt said.

If all goes well, there likely will be another academy, much like the Sheriff’s Office’s Citizens Academy.

The program is held from 6-9 p.m. Thursdays and will run from April 4 to May 30.