NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Three Fox Valley fire departments are coming together to train another round of firefighter recruits.
Chad Korth is one of 20 firefighter recruits who are eager to start work.
But first, he has to get through five weeks of training academy.
“Pushing us to our limits and testing what we can all take care of so it’s definitely a new experience.”
Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue Chief, Kevin Kloehn, tells FOX 11 his department, Oshkosh, and Grand Chute Fire Departments are holding a joint training academy for a few reasons.
“We do respond together in mutual aid calls and we thought what better way to do our joint recruiting academy because at the time our young firefighters get to know each other from different departments because at some point in their career they will have to work together.”
He says working together also saves the departments time and money.
“Some of the saving comes into the staff not having to be part of the training. Pulling crews away from responding to calls and doing other daily areas such as fire inspections. Before, if you were only doing two firefighters, those one or two firefighters would have to stop what they are doing.”
“Now when they redo the process, they are actually rotating, getting a little time to rest and plus getting more reps in during the day.” he adds.
Korth tells FOX 11 he enjoys learning from a variety of instructors,
“It’s nice to have different groups sharing different teaching abilities to get new skills. We’re doing different things that we are going to do on the job every single day.”
On Tuesday, the recruits fought a mock residential structure fire.
“Trying to get these new recruits to have some muscle memory when they go live online with their engine company,” said Kloehn.
Kloehn says he hopes to see all Fox Valley career departments join in on the academy in the coming years.
This is the first time all three departments are training together.
The City of Appleton plans to join the academy next year.
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