Wrightsville Beach Fire Department to host one-day citizens fire academy this Saturday

Interested to learn more about how the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department operates? The fire department is hosting a one-day citizens fire academy this Saturday, Jan. 5 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The academy is geared for adults and will be held at the town’s public safety building at 3 Bob Sawyer Dr, near Wrightsville Beach Park.

The academy will offer an inside look at how the department operates, with demonstrations of the equipment, a tour of the facilities, and information presentations about the different services the fire department offers.

After beginning with a coffee and welcome by fire officials, they academy will begin with a session titled “All About Fire Trucks”, where participants will team up with on duty firefighters as they go through their daily checks of the fire trucks and other fire equipment.

The day-long academy continues with a tour of the firehouse, followed by informational sessions on how the fire department operates and how it provides emergency medical services, which includes a demonstration of the EKG rescue device that is used to resuscitate a person suffering from a heart attack. Then, participants of the academy will learn about the department’s ocean rescue division and how it helps keep ocean swimmers safe during operation in the summer months.

For lunch, participants will have an opportunity to enjoy a meal prepared by fire captain Jeff Williams, who is also a chef.

After lunch, participants will learn about the fire department’s use of drones, and will get the opportunity to see how they are flown. Then, participants will join the firefighters at the department’s training grounds, where they will have a chance to engage in some of the training drills themselves.

As the academy concludes, the participants will learn the history of the 1981 Doak fire, a blaze at an apartment complex that took the life of  Lt. Robert Wynn, who had died while trying to stop the fire from spreading to an adjacent building. 

The events of this fire are regularly taught by the department, partly to emphasize the need for a quick response in a beach town where buildings are often close together and ocean winds can quickly spread the flames.

The academy will conclude with information about the department’s accreditation and ISO rating, which is used to help determine local insurance rates.  

Preregistration for the citizens academy is required by email to Fire Chief Glen Rogers at [email protected] or call (910) 239-1701.