Saturday June, 6 2026

Nature: Delaware State Fire School – Firefighter I & II Academy Graduation

Location: Dover, Delaware

On Saturday morning, June 6^th, the Delaware State Fire School hosted the graduation ceremonies for the most recent Firefighter I and II Academy at the Dover High School Complex.

These graduation ceremonies were the capstone of the comprehensive training that provided the foundational classroom instruction as well as intense hands-on training skills to certify these firefighter cadets throughout the State of Delaware to prepare their firefighting aspirations.  This curriculum prepares the candidates to meet national standards, enabling them to serve confidently within the Delaware Fire Service.

The Academy Core Curriculum integrates theoretical knowledge with realistic fire ground simulations.  Content aligns with standard firefighter frameworks, included NFPA 1001 (Firefighter I & II), NFPA 1006 (Vehicle Rescue), and NFPA 1072.472 (Hazardous Materials) as well as:

Basic Firefighting Skills:  Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), knot tying, and hose handling.

Structural Firefighting:  Multi-story residential and commercial fire simulation attack evolutions

Hazardous Materials:  Training at both the Awareness and Operational levels

Rescue Operations:  Traditional vehicle rescue and vehicle extrication skills

Medical Training:  Courses include options or prerequisites for Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) or National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certifications.

These academies run as a sequential, multi-month training block typically lasting around 3-months.

Over the course of this time period, the Indian River and many other fire companies participated in the various training evolutions at the Delaware State Fire School – Dover Campus which allowed for apparatus to participate in order to acclimate course attendees with their specific apparatus as well as units from other fire companies in Delaware.

Therefore, the Indian River Volunteer Fire wishes to highlight the achievements of Trenton Pearce and Antonio Schenning for their accomplishments and graduation feat.

Illustrated herewith are previous publications highlighting the course progression:

• https://irvfc.com/gallery/detail/56114

• https://irvfc.com/gallery/detail/56030?ss=1

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company hereby congratulates all the academy graduates but most importantly Trenton and Antonio who represent Indian River.  Congratulations and best weshes.