REGISTRATION

The following regulations must be followed for registering at the MCFA.

1. When scheduling drills to be held at MCFA, you must submit the training area(s) you will require and the type of expendables you would like to use. For specific information regarding types of expendables and quantities which have been approved for use at MCFA, please contact the office during business hours.
   
   
2. All drills must be requested through the use of an MCFA application form. Verbal requests will be held for 7 days pending receipt of an application form.
   
   
3. The current fee for drills includes the use of only one training area, 3 safety officers, and expendables, for a 3-hour period. Additional areas with expendables for one or consecutive drill sessions (such as a weekend morning and afternoon), are available at additional cost.
   
   
4. One drill application must be completely filled out and submitted for each drill requested. Application must be received at least two weeks before date of drill.
   
   
5. An outline of the drill must be attached. This outline shall include the following:
   a.name of the drill
   b. the objective
   c. the estimated length of time
   d. what you expect the firefighters to accomplish
   e. what equipment will be used
   f. the name of the person in charge
   
   NOTE: Any fire department who does not submit an outline at least two weeks prior to their drill will be required to use a Fire Academy lesson plan chosen by Academy staff and will be subject to an additional fee for an extra instructor to conduct the drill.
   
   
6. If your company does not have an outline, you may contact MCFA and we will send you possible training evolutions which may be used for drill programs.
   
   
7. A drill request may be denied if it conflicts with a MCFA class or pre-scheduled drill. Drills may be postponed due to possible unsafe conditions resulting from weather. Such conditions include freezing water in winter, or ladder use during thunderstorms.

CONFIRMATIONS: Drill confirmations will be sent to the sponsoring agency approximately 15 days prior to the start of the drill. Please submit appropriate payment(check or purchase order) upon receipt of the drill confirmation.

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you have to cancel for some reason , you must do so at least one(1) week prior to the starting date of the drill.
Cancellations must be made with the administration office. You may telephone Monday through Friday, from 8:30AM to 4:00PM. If you do not cancel as above, you will be billed for the full price.

LIVE FIRE TRAINING: Any drills involving live fire training shall be in compliance with NFPA Std. 1403, Live Fire Training Evolutions in Structures, 1992 edition.

PREREQUISITES: When a drill is held at, or in conjunction with, the MCFA, the sponsoring organization shall be responsible for enduring that each participant is adequately trained to perform the tasks assigned to him or her during that specific training session.

DRILL SESSION HOURS: Weekday hours are divided into three periods:

EXPENDABLES & FREQUENCY:

• Drills involving Class A burns in the Burn Building and the Tower include 10 bales of straw and 4 burns for a three hour session. Six hour sessions include 16 bales of straw and 7 burns.
• Flammable gas drills include 6 burns over a three hour period or 10 burns for a six hour period.
• The frequency of scenarios for Hazmat and rescue drills are at the discretion of the fire department, or company.

FLAMMABLE LIQUID DRILLS:

Flammable liquid drills will include up to a maximum of 250 gallons of fuel. Any additional fuel will be billed to the fire department/brigade renting the facility at a cost of $3.00 per gallon. The types of props being used will determine the frequency of evolutions on the Flammable Liquid Pad.
NOTE: No flammable or combustible liquids are to be used in burn building (Building 4) or tower (Building 3).

RIGHT OF REFUSAL: The MCFA reserves the right to refuse any drill application, if, in the opinion of the staff, a drill proposal would:

• pose possible harm to personnel directly or indirectly involved in the drill.
• cause damage to any fire department or fire academy property.
• go against nationally accepted safe practices for fire fighting and fire training.

FIRE TRAINING EQUIPMENT: The fire department will provide all their own fire equipment for the drill. If a specific piece of equipment from the academy is needed, a request for it should be submitted with the drill application form.

USE OF LIVE VICTIMS: Any training drills performed at the fire academy shall not use any personnel as victims for any evolutions. The term "personnel" shall include any member of the fire department or any one connected directly or indirectly with that organization, or any fire academy personnel.
Only inanimate objects will be used as victims. This will include:fire training dummies, hose dummies, mannequins, etc.

PROCEDURES FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT DRILL SESSIONS:

1. The chief, training officer, or representative from the fire department shall report to the MCFA instructor upon arrival at the academy grounds. No department, or member of a department, shall enter the fenced-in training area unless accompanied by an MCFA instructor. Absolutely no private vehicles are permitted within the fenced-in training area during a drill session.
   
   
2. The officer in charge shall provide a roster of personnel involved in the training evolution and certify that they meet the prerequisites. He or she shall also certify that they have emergency medical support and the name(s) of those individual(s).
   
   
3. Prior to any evolution, a pre-evolution briefing session will be conducted. This will include:
   a. An overview of the MCFA rules and regulations
   b. Description of the crew assignments
   c Familiarization with the training area.
   
   
4. All fuels used for live fire training will be set up under the direct supervision of a MCFA fire instructor.
   
   
5. Three fire instructors shall be the evolution safety officers for live burn or any other type of evolution.
   
   
6. There shall be a 5:1 ratio of firefighters to training officer for any live burn evolutions.
   
   
7. The fire department shall provide certified emergency medical personnel for their training evolutions. These individuals shall be EMT-A certified. The EMT may not participate in evolutions unless replaced by an other EMT. If an EMT is not available, the MCFA can provide one at $100.00 for a three hour session or $200.00 for a six hour session.
   
   
8. Self Contained Breathing Apparatus(SCBA) shall be worn by firefighters and instructor(s) under the following conditions.
   a. Oxygen deficient or contaminated atmospheres.
   b. Elevated temperature environments.
   c. Below ground-level locations.
   
   
9. Any fire department training officer running the training evolution shall meet requirements of Fire Service Instructor Level II, as per N.J.A.C. 5:18C. If the department does not have access to a certified instructor, the MCFA is able to provide as many as necessary at an additional fee.
   
   
10. Any fire(s) ignited shall be under the direct supervision of the MCFA instructor/safety officer.
    
    
11. Only MCFA staff shall be permitted to operate the controls for fuel or ignition of fuels at any live burn evolutions and any controls pertaining to the water supply system.
    
    
12. All emergency vehicle operators shall be certified by their department to operate their equipment.
    
    
13. All drills include safety officers and expendables to complete the evolutions. If a fire department/brigade requires the use of an apparatus the Fire Academy can provide one for your use at $100.00 for a three-(3) hour session or $200.00 for a six-(6) hour session.
    
    
14. All drills require an outline to be submitted to the Middlesex County Fire Academy (MCFA) at least two weeks prior to the drill date. If suggestions for an outline of scenarios are needed, contact the MCFA for a selection of possible evolutions. If an outline is not received a MCFA outline will be chosen and a fee of $100.00 for a three-(3) hour session or $200.00 for a six-(6) hour session will be charged.