Cadet Academy

At Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, each cadet will start a 22-week training process that focuses on specific skills and tasks necessary to be a firefighter. 

The academy begins with a 6-week course expanding knowledge of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) skills. These skills are crucial for all SFFR members as firefighters assist ambulances throughout the city with a variety of mutual aid medical services. In these first weeks, cadets will learn basic EMS skills. After completing the first phase of training, cadets will obtain their National Register Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification. The Sioux Falls Fire Rescue team will assist in teaching cadets the importance of EMS skills and help them achieve their NREMT.

After the cadets complete the 6-week EMT course, they will transition into learning the basic aspects of firefighting. The remaining 16 weeks of the cadet academy will be broken down on a week-by-week basis. Each week cadets will focus on the basic skills and aspects of firefighting. These skills include the following: nozzle forward, water supply, ventilation, RIC, car extrication, hazmat ops, wildland ops, rescue ops, ropes, and many more. Members of Sioux Falls Fire Rescue and Training Officers will lead the cadets through the academy to demonstrate the proper technique for each skill or task. The goal for the 16 weeks of fire ground training will be for each cadet to achieve their National ProBoard 1 and 2 certifications.

Physical Fitness

As applicants progress through the hiring process with Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, they will encounter one of the basic levels of physical fitness standards known as the Individual Physical Ability Test (IPAT). This test is the foundation for the level of fitness cadets will experience while they process through the SFFR Training Academy. The Academy will take the IPAT foundation and build upon it, this will teach cadets strength and conditioning techniques to help prevent injuries and further allow members to have a long and healthy career at SFFR. Below is a baseline example of a workout cadets may experience on day 1 of the SFFR Cadet Academy.

Workout Example

6:15 - Dynamic Stretches

6:30 - Cardio Warmup:

• 1 mile run (timed)

6:40 - Strength training:

• Chest (3x10)
• Legs (3x10)
• Shoulders (3x10)

7:00 - Circuit Training - 4 rounds 30sec/station

• Curved treadmill
• Sled push/pulls
• Pull-ups
• Resistance rows
• Planks
• Force Machine
• Farmer carries
• Tire flips

7:20 - Cardio and Conditioning:

• 3 x 300 meter sprints (timed)