Training

Organization & Services

The Training Division functions under the direction of the deputy fire chief and the administrative captain of training. Comprehensive and on-going training programs are provided to the members of the City of Pueblo Fire Department

Designed to maintain and upgrade the skills of those members, training supports the mission of the Fire Department and its ability to provide the citizens and visitors of Pueblo with excellent fire, rescue, and emergency services.

Training facilities at the Pueblo Fire Department are vital to the department members and are accessible to neighboring fire departments as well.

Types of Training

  • Fire Academy
    • New employees are required to complete a 15-week training academy delivered by the Training Division. Topics include Basic Firefighter, Hazardous Materials Awareness/Operations, Wildland Firefighter 2, Driver Operator, Emergency Medical Services, and Swift Water Rescue. An EMT-Basic course is provided to new employees without a current certificate.
  • Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
    • Members are provided continuing education in EMS topics that are compliant with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification. This material includes both basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) levels of training.
  • Fire Suppression and Prevention
    • Pueblo City firefighters train in suppression and prevention topics for a minimum of 216 hours each year. Officers and drivers require an additional 12 hours per year in position-specific material. All topics follow National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA) and Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) guidelines. Total training hours for the department exceed 46,000 hours every year.
  • Hazardous materials 
    • All firefighters are trained to the NFPA 1072 HazMat Awareness/Operations level. Personnel assigned to the HazMat Team receive additional training and hold HazMat Technician and Specialist certificates.
  • Driver Operator
    • Members of the fire department receive ongoing training in driving and operation of fire apparatus. New members complete Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) training during the Fire Academy
  • Wildland Firefighting
    • Ongoing training in wildland firefighting meets National Wildland Coordination Group (NWCG) standards. Annual refresher training includes the arduous fit test (pack test) for those holding “red card” certification.
  • Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting (ARFF)
    • Members of the ARFF team train each month on topics related to aircraft rescue and firefighting. All training follows Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. Annual live-burn training takes place at the Denver International Airport training facility.
  • Technical Rescue
    • All members of the Pueblo Fire Department train to an operations-level in swift water rescue and rope rescue.
    • Covering a wide-range of material, the Technical Rescue Team trains monthly at a technician-level on specialty topics which include High- and Low-Angle Rope Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Vehicle Extrication, Confined Space Rescue, Ice Rescue, Trench Rescue, and Wide Area Search.