Connecticut Fire Academy

10/12/2026

CFA CPAT PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY PASSES IAFF AUDIT!

Passing an audit doesn’t happen by accident. It takes hard work, dedication, and a commitment to doing things right.

We are proud to announce that the Connecticut Fire Academy’s CPAT program has successfully passed its IAFF audit!

This achievement reflects the dedication and professionalism of our CFA instructors and staff, who ensure every candidate is tested fairly, consistently, and in accordance with established standards.

Every candidate. Every test. The same standard.

Congratulations to our entire CPAT team on a job well done!

10/11/2026

10/10/2026

🔥 Another Week of Hard Work for Recruit Class 78! 🚒

Another week in the books at the Connecticut Fire Academy, and the recruits of Class 78 continue to learn, improve, and build on the skills they will need throughout their careers.

From daily physical training and their first PT assessment to horizontal ventilation, additional ladder work, SCBA skills, and hazardous materials training, this week brought plenty of opportunities to learn, practice, and improve.

Each week builds on the last as recruits develop their knowledge, confidence, teamwork, and ability to perform under pressure.

The days are long, the expectations are high, and the work isn’t getting any easier. But that’s what it takes to prepare for the responsibilities that come with being a firefighter.

Keep putting in the work, Class 78! Every day is an opportunity to get better. 💪🚒

10/09/2026

10/08/2026

🔥 CONNECTICUT FIRE DANGER ALERT 🔥

As we move into the fall season, dry leaves, vegetation, and windy conditions can increase the risk of brush and wildland fires across Connecticut.

A single spark can quickly turn into a fire that threatens homes, property, and our communities.

⚠️ Use caution with outdoor fires.
⚠️ Follow all open burning restrictions.
⚠️ Properly dispose of smoking materials and ashes.
⚠️ Report brush fires immediately by calling 911.

Know the risk. Prevent the fire. Protect our communities.

Check today’s fire danger rating from CT DEEP:

https://portal.ct.gov/deep/forestry/forest-fire/forest-fire-danger-report

10/08/2026

USFA's National Fire Academy has immediate vacancies for R0154 Safety Program Operations scheduled for January 10-15, 2027.

The 6-day course provides knowledge and practice in the context of current issues to develop strategies of risk management associated with the provision of firefighting and emergency medical services to reduce firefighter fatalities and injuries.

The NFA is currently holding a resident course OPEN application period until October 15th, https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/nfacourses/catalog/search?offeringApplicationPeriod=2026-10-15

All training is at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD.

Apply using the electronic application form, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/admissions/how-to-apply.html

If you need help completing your application, don't hesitate to contact our Admissions office by email at [email protected].

10/07/2026

🚨 EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT | EMS & FIRE PRO EXPO 2026 🚒

Meet four exhibitors joining us in the FREE Expo Hall, October 22–24!

🔹 DESPP - CT Fire Academy | Booth #246/248
Serving as Connecticut’s primary training and professional development center for the fire service, preparing firefighters, officers, and instructors to safely and effectively protect their communities.

🔹 Tyther LLC Lift Assist | Booth #367
Manufacturing the Lift Assist Strap, a reusable patient-handling device designed to help EMS providers safely lift, move, drag, and extricate patients.

🔹 PAC - Performance Advantage Company | Booth #522
Manufacturing high-quality mounting brackets designed to securely hold life-saving tools and equipment for fire, rescue, and emergency service applications.

🔹 Common Cents EMS Supply LLC | Booth
Providing quality EMS equipment backed by a team of EMTs, paramedics, and firefighters who bring real-world field experience to customer service and support.

🎟️ The Expo Hall is FREE! Just stop by the registration desk for a pass. Come meet exhibitors, discover new products and resources, and connect with the first responder community.

📅 October 22–24, 2026

10/07/2026

When you operate a live-in recruit program, you are doing more than teaching skills. You are building a culture.

The habits recruits develop during these 15 weeks can follow them throughout their entire careers. Hard work. Discipline. Attention to detail. Making productive use of every available minute. And understanding that competence is only the beginning. The goal is mastery.

This is what that culture looks like.

The scheduled training day is over. Instructors have finished teaching. Yet recruits are still outside, on their own time, working together and practicing the skills they learned during the day. Nobody is making them do it. They are doing it because they want to get better.

That is one of the greatest benefits of a residential program. Learning doesn’t stop when the class schedule says the day is over. Recruits live, train, study, practice, and grow together.

This is what commitment looks like. This is what culture looks like. And this is what we expect from Connecticut Fire Academy recruits.

10/06/2026

At the Connecticut Fire Academy, we often say that we have some of the best instructors in the fire service. That isn’t rhetoric. It’s about experience.

When we teach standpipe operations, we believe there is tremendous value in learning from someone who has actually operated from standpipes under real fire conditions, countless times throughout his career.

Lt. Jay Walsh brings a level of operational experience that is difficult to match. Jay spent more than 40 years in the fire service, beginning with the Newington Volunteer Fire Department and later serving with the New Britain Fire Department, where he worked on Engine 1 and helped establish Rescue 1.

He then joined the FDNY, serving with Engine 75 and Ladder 33 before finishing his career as a Lieutenant with Engine 59 in the Bronx. He retired from the FDNY in 2018 and continues to pass that experience on to the next generation of firefighters at the Connecticut Fire Academy.

Our instructors come to the CFA with varying backgrounds and levels of experience, and each brings something valuable to the classroom and drill ground. But there are very few instructors anywhere who can bring the depth of operational experience Jay brings to our recruits.

LWe’re fortunate that today, Jay Walsh and almost 200 other instructors and contractors he choose to share their career and lessons with our recruits.