Norwalk to run regional recruit academy with Bridgeport and Fairfield; class starts Aug. 11

Deputy Chief Coppola told the Norwalk Fire Commission July 15 that the department’s new recruits will begin academy training Aug. 11 at the Fairfield Regional Fire School, a regional model run jointly with Bridgeport and Fairfield departments. Coppola said the recruits will receive the same certifications they would get at the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks but with several operational advantages: smaller class size, more live‑fire training because the facility has an on‑site burn building, more repetition for recruits and a Monday‑through‑Friday schedule that allows recruits to return home each night rather than remain at a week‑long on‑campus schedule. Coppola said the model is tied to hiring schedules in Bridgeport and Fairfield and may continue as a regional option; he described it as a trial with potential for further regional participation from Westport, New Canaan and others. The academy includes IFSAC/Pro Board Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications, hazardous‑materials awareness and operations and driver licensing components; there is an EMT component that the department may either use through the school or deliver internally. Commissioners praised the training plan and noted the cost savings and improved local convenience for recruits. Ending: Recruit training starts Aug. 11 and runs through Dec. 12; the department will update the commission on attendance and certification outcomes.