Jim Flint
SAC Fire Academy Puts Top
Candidates on the Line
“I’ve been through three full-time
fire academies, and the Santa Ana College Fire Academy
is far superior for extensive basic training,” enthuses
Jim Flint. A firefighter in Long Beach for the last five
years, Jim earned his Bachelor of Science degree from
California State University, Fullerton in 1996 in
kinesiology and began work as a exercise physiologist in
the Fitness Lab of SAC’s Fire Academy.
This exposure to the work of
firefighters drew him to join the Academy himself. It
offers a full-time program, as well as a nine-month
program, with classes on two evenings and one weekend
day. Jim graduated from the 14-week full-time program in
1999 and joined the Beverly Hills Fire Department in
2001, after a rigorous hiring process and completing its
fire academy.
SAC’s Fire Academy teaches the
basic skills and knowledge required to become a
successful firefighter. It comprises two major
components, EMT and operational training. Jim explains
that 80-90% of calls are medical-related, and the
academy teaches emergency medical responses suitable for
the field. Operational training spans a broad spectrum
of important skills, including how to use chain saws and
axes, search and rescue tactics, hose lays, extractions,
rappelling and more.
And then there is the Fitness Lab,
with its campus program as well as three mobile units
that serve fire departments from Orange County to San
Bernardino and Burbank. It’s a wellness program that
teaches firefighters exercise regimens to stay fit in
their physically and emotionally demanding profession.
It also offers a series of analytical tests, including
strength, cardio, body composition and pulmonary
function.
“The SAC Fire Academy provides a
wonderful structure for all to succeed,” says Jim, “and
it even helps after graduation with the hiring process.”
The hiring process is rigorous, and rightly so. “It
easily takes six months to a year to join a fire
department,” he continues. The process includes lengthy
tests of knowledge and physical ability, oral
interviews, background checks, medical and psychological
exams, and numerous levels of interviews.
“Being a firefighter can be a very
stressful job, and you are living one-third of the year
with a minimum of three other people, 10 days a month,
24 hours a day. There has to be a high level of trust,
honesty, respect and appreciation of the rank structure.
Someone failing could mean someone else getting hurt,”
he explains.
Jim also cites the emotional toll
of the job, remembering being called recently to help a
father who died at his daughter’s college graduation
ceremony or a baby thrown down a flight of stairs. It’s
not a job for everyone, but Jim assures us that SAC’s
dynamic Fire Academy with its extensive training puts
out top-tier candidates. “It was a great experience for
me; the training and structure are incredible, and I am
proud to be one of its instructors today,” he concludes.
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Jim Flint and his wife Kim
