The Citizen Fire Academy is a program designed to give participants a working knowledge of the Evanston Fire Department.

What is the Citizen Fire Academy?

The mission of the Citizen Fire Academy is to create a well-informed cross section of the citizens from our community by describing and demonstrating the functions of the Evanston Fire Department. It will expose the very nature of firefighting along with the danger and benefits it holds.  

The program consists of brief classroom discussions and a primary focus on hands-on exercises. Classes are held weekly on Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with two Saturday morning classes for 10 weeks. Topics will include: Intro to the Evanston Fire Department, Special Teams, Fire Prevention, Emergency Medical Services, Vehicle Extrication, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, Engine Ops, Truck Ops, and Live Fire.

There is one academy per year. The Fall 2025 session is closed. Check back summer 2026 for the next session. There is no fee to enroll.

Goals

• To educate the public through a series of classroom and hands-on courses utilizing the resources and manpower of the Evanston Fire Department.
• To explain the tactics and strategies of firefighting and rescue, along with the dangers and benefits inherent to this type of service.
• To provide insight into the inner workings of the Evanston Fire Department and to better inform the residents of Evanston about the multitude of services which are provided to the community.
• To foster an understanding of the broad spectrum of knowledge, training and skills that are necessary to be a member of the Evanston Fire Department.
• To better prepare residents of Evanston to react properly in the event of a fire or medical emergency.
• To encourage our Academy participants to return to their organizations, neighborhoods and families to share information which will develop more safety-conscious citizens.
• To provide an interactive forum for both the Evanston Fire Department and citizens to share information and concerns.

We have found that education has been most effective in gaining understanding and support from the community. Through the implementation of the Citizen Fire Academy, the Evanston Fire Department offers its citizens insights into how firefighters/paramedics perform their duties, as well as how the department serves the community. Individuals who would like to participate in the Academy must be at least 21 years of age.  For more information, contact:

Timothy J. Gobat
FAO/Paramedic
Station 3 3rd Shift
tgobat@cityofevanston.org