Upon being hired with the Salinas Fire Department recruits are required to attend and complete an in-house academy that lasts approximately 16-18 weeks. The schedule is Monday thru Friday, 0800 to 1700 hours. The academy is instructed by a cadre of five members of the department that are pulled offline and serve in a 40-hour work week schedule. Their sole job is to ensure the success of the recruits and to facilitate the academy and grounds. The academy curriculum consists of physical conditioning and all topics that are taught in a basic fire academy. Quizzes will be held each week, and there are 3-4“Block”exams. The subjects being taught in the academy include:

Hose Operations, Ladder Operations, Ventilation, Rapid Intervention Crew, HAZMAT, Rope Rescue, Vehicle Extrication, Forcible Entry, Wildland Fire Operations, Driver Operator Training, Live Fire