Fire Service Instructor

State of Connecticut - Department of Correction; Windsor Locks (CT); On-site; USD 33,000 - 55,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Mileage reimbursement

Flexible schedule

Professional growth opportunities

Free statewide training

Loan forgiveness eligibility

Job summary

Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks is seeking per diem Fire Service Instructors credentialed by subject matter expertise. Instructors will identify their availability to teach and will be assigned by a Program Coordinator or Manager based on credentials and needs.

Instructors are expected to work a minimum of 100 hours per calendar year and may teach in various programmatic areas. The role offers flexibility and opportunities for professional growth and development within the Connecticut

Qualifications

• Three (3) years of experience in the field of fire safety.
• Experience in teaching or presenting to groups is preferred.
• Ability to travel as required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare for and conduct fire service training from prepared curriculum.
• Adapt course content and curricula and prepare lesson plans to meet training needs.
• Recommend changes in training courses.
• Prepare, administer, and correct tests.
• Assign tasks and evaluate student performance.
• Maintain student records and prepare evaluation reports; maintain tools and equipment.

Skills

Fire service experience

Independent work

Strong communication

Job description

Introduction

Ready to take your career to the next level while helping shape the future of Connecticut’s fire service? Join us in advancing firefighter training, professional development, and safety across the state!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), Commission on Fire Prevention and Control is hiring per diem Fire Service Instructors at the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks, CT.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• Enjoy mileage reimbursement (over 40 miles roundtrip) to make your commute stress-free;
• Embrace flexibility to accommodate your schedule and needs;
• Achieve a healthy work-life balance, because we believe in your well-being;
• Take advantage of FREE statewide training! Take a sneak peak at the Connecticut Fire Academy 2026 Training Calendar and see how you can continuously enhance your skills and expertise!
• Visit our NEW State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees
• The State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Click here for more information

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS

• Instructors are credentialed by subject matter expertise.
• Teaching and related work assignments are posted via a portal to instructors credentialed to teach in various programmatic areas.
• Instructors identify their availability to teach and a Program Coordinator or Manager reviews responses and would in-turn formalize the assignment(s).
• Instructors are required to work a minimum of one hundred (100) hours per calendar year.

PLEASE NOTE: For more responsibilities, please scroll down to the Examples of Duties Section below.

ABOUT US

The DESPP is committed to protecting and improving the quality of life for all by providing a broad range of public safety services, training, regulatory guidance, and scientific services utilizing enforcement, prevention, education and state of the art science and technology. DESPP is structured on three key Strategic Pillars created by Commissioner Ronnell Higgins.

1. Operational Efficiency, Efficacy and Excellence

Making decisions through the thoughtful and informed use of data

Challenging the 'that's the way it's always been done' construct—i.e., thinking outside the box as to how we can improve

Constantly seeking better results

2. Shared Fiscal Responsibility

Recognizing our collective responsibility to steward the agency's resources

Realigning planned budgetary actions to ensure that they are in taxpayers' interests

Preparing together for potential budget stresses and fiscal challenges

3. Ethics and Accountability

Critically and constantly measuring our practices against our policies

Performing quarterly performance evaluations agency-wide to measure success and flag areas needing improvement

Regularly engaging external partners for feedback and assessments

Opening our doors to Connecticut students and workers for apprenticeships, internships, and career pathways

The Commission on Fire Prevention and Control is dedicated to preventing or mitigating the effects of fire and disasters, either natural or man made, on the citizens of the State of Connecticut. This objective shall be accomplished through the development and delivery of state-of-the-art educational programs designed to meet nationally recognized standards, certification of individuals to such standards and maintenance of up-to-date resources for use by fire service personnel, public educators and other first responders.

TESTIMONIALS

“Being a Connecticut Fire Academy Instructor means I am a part of advancing the fire service forward by preparing the next generation of firefighters. Being on the staff at the CFA has allowed me to give back to the fire service while expanding my peer group through networking and idea sharing.”

'Being an academy instructor means that I am part of a team of individuals who make it their mission to train and pass on knowledge to future firefighters. Being part of the academy has allowed me to grow professionally and personally through the interaction with fellow instructors and recruits. The benefits of being an instructor include professional development, networking and camaraderie'

'One of the things I like most about being an instructor at the CT Fire Academy has been meeting and working with all of the top notch instructors from around the state. Being able to represent the CFA at Career Fairs, being a Coordinator for Cadet Camp, and being a mentor at CPAT has allowed me to connect with the future generation of fire fighters and has given me the chance to talk about what being a female in the fire service is like'

'Being a fire academy instructor means mentoring, teaching, and leader to aspiring firefighters. It means having the responsibility to prepare and shape individuals into skilled and competent firefighters capable of facing any emergency with confidence and courage. The fire academy has pushed me physically, mentally, and emotionally.'

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Division of Fire Services Administration this class is accountable for performing a variety of work related to fire training and certification for personnel of local fire departments and other fire organizations.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Fire Service Instructor 1 (Instructors are credentialed by subject matter expertise):

• Preparing for and conducting fire service training (cognitive and psycho-motor skills) from prepared curriculum;
• Adapts course content and curricula and prepares lesson plans to meet specific training needs;
• Recommends changes in training courses;
• Prepares, administers, and corrects tests;
• Assigns tasks and evaluates student performance;
• Maintains student records; prepares evaluation reports; and
• Maintains tools and equipment utilized in training.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Instructor 1: Knowledge of objectives, principles and practices of fire training; knowledge of educational methods and techniques as applied to technical fields; knowledge of modern fire suppression and prevention techniques, methods, procedures and scientific aides, interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Instructor 1: Three (3) years of experience in the field of fire safety.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

Instructor 1, 2 and 3: College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of two (2) years.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working independently and communicating both in writing and verbally to internal and external stakeholders;
• Experience in fire service subject areas, including Firefighting, Technical Rescue, Fire Officer, Fire Service Instruction, Community Risk Reduction, Public Fire and Life Safety Education, Firefighter Physical Fitness, Candidate Physical Ability Testing (CPAT), Aerial operations or Pump Operations; and
• Completion of the CT Fire Academy Station Evaluator Training.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess an appropriate certificate or license in the specific fire service or related safety area required of the assignment.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.