If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a firefighter, you can have most of your questions answered by attending the upcoming Sandoval County Citizens Fire Academy.

The Sandoval County Fire Department created this 8-week program as a means of helping county residents understand how fire and emergency medical personnel go about their jobs.

“We hope this program will enhance the public’s awareness of the department’s capabilities, as well as its limitations,” Sandoval County Fire Chief James Maxon said. “We hope that opening our doors and letting citizens see how—and why—we respond to specific situations in certain ways will promote cooperative relationships between firefighters and the citizens of Sandoval County.”

Chief Maxon also believes the academy will make citizens more aware of the dangers of fire and the benefits of prevention, as well as give them a better idea of how long it takes the department to respond to an emergency.

This knowledge will be gained through a series of 2.5-hour classroom sessions, taking place on Wednesday evenings, starting September 30, 2015. There also will be one Saturday session on November 7, 2015 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Wednesday sessions are scheduled for 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM.

All sessions will be at Sandoval County Fire Station #21 located next to the Santa Ana Star Casino on Tamaya Boulevard.

To apply for the Citizen’s Fire Academy, download the application.