Academy Rules & Regulations

Download a copy of the HCESTC Rules and Regulations (PDF).

Conformance to the following rules and regulations is essential to the efficient and safe operation of the Hunterdon County Emergency Services Training Center. All students attending any emergency service training at the Academy shall familiarize themselves with and will be held responsible for compliance to these rules and regulations. Any student failing to follow the rules of the Academy are subject for dismissal from any class, suspension from any course or other disciplinary actions deemed appropriate.

Insurance

As per Hunterdon County Facility Use Policy: Current completed Certificates of Liability Insurance Coverage must be filed with the Hunterdon County Emergency Services Training Center prior to any course attendance and drill applications being approved.

This information is also located in our online registration Terms and Conditions, please read and agree prior to submitting a course registration.
Certificate of Insurance with Hunterdon County as the Certificate Holder and the following limits:

  • Commercial General Liability $1,000,000 Occupational / $2,000,000 Aggregate
  • Automobile Liability $1,000,000
  • Workers Compensation Statutory
  • The County to be named as "Additional Insured" using
    P.O. Box 2900
    Flemington, NJ 08822

Additional Insured must read as follows:

The County of Hunterdon, including all elected and appointed officials, all employees and volunteers, all boards, commissions and/or authorities and their board members, employees, and volunteers.

Injuries / Illness

  • Any injury or illness that occurs on the Academy's premises must be reported to the administrative office or to an Academy Instructor immediately.
  • Emergency Medical Care will be rendered as required.
    • A student's department will be notified of an illness or injury with specific attention being given to safeguard the student's confidentiality with regards to the specific nature of the illness/injury.
  • Personnel or students will fill out an appropriate accident/injury form.
  • Injured students participating in a class with a physical component may not return to class without a written clearance from their Department's attending physician, which specifically states the candidate's ability to return to firefighting training without restriction. (An Academy 'Return to Duty' form will be provided)

Dress Code

  • Classroom attire for Fire Fighter 1 and Firefighter 2 will be:
    • Academy issued short sleeve or long sleeve tee style shirt appropriate for that class
    • Dark blue Uniform style pants (100% Cotton) Dickeys / Dockers
    • Black belt
    • Black work shoes or boots
  • Classroom attire for students attending any training shall wear a department Class B or similar uniform
    • Business attire is acceptable in lieu of a department uniform
    • Blue jeans, shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, sweat clothes, tube tops, hats or sandals may not be worn to any lecture/class.
  • Attire which is deemed to be offensive or culturally insensitive shall be cause for removal from any class.
  • Appearance
    • Uniforms shall be kept neat and clean
    • Shirts shall be tucked in at all times
    • Pants shall not be bloused in boots

Tobacco Products

  • The use of tobacco products by any student taking a class that involves a physical component is, strictly prohibited on Academy premises for the duration of the course.
  • Students taking classroom only sessions shall be restricted to the use of tobacco products outside of the Academy building, and no less than 15' of any entry door.
  • Electronic Cigarettes, chew/dip shall be classified as tobacco products for the purpose of these rules and regulations.

Parking

  • Students are to park in the designated student parking area.

Driving

  • The speed limit on the Academy premises for any students is 5 MPH.
  • Students driving on the Academy premises shall have their radio off, and shall be alert for and yield to any class in the driving/parking areas or any pedestrian traffic.
  • The use of emergency warning lights or audible devices is strictly prohibited on Academy grounds unless necessary during the course of training.

General

  • The use of stimulants, intoxicants, and/or the illegal use of any drug or substance is strictly prohibited on Academy property.
  • Reporting to the Academy after having used any of the above will be construed as being used during training hours and will result in automatic dismissal.
  • Students are not to stand or sit with their feet against the walls, on tables or chairs, or mark, alter or damage any Academy property.
  • Students shall not interfere with any other class that might be in session. Proper decorum shall be exercised at all times.
  • Any act or behavior pattern deemed prejudicial to the good order and discipline of the class, including but not limited to talking out of turn during class, or sleeping during class, may result in dismissal from the Academy.
  • Students are expected to clean up after themselves; soda cans, coffee cups, newspapers, etc., are to be placed in the proper receptacles provided for regular trash or recyclables.
  • The use of profane or discriminatory language and/or gestures is strictly prohibited.
  • The display of any offensive, profane or discriminatory items/materials is strictly prohibited, this includes any item of dress deemed to be suggestive or offensive in nature.
  • Physical contact between students is strictly prohibited except in instances where it is necessary to accomplish a class objective, such as carries/drags.

Academic Integrity

  • Any student who is found cheating or has been determined to have cheated on any test or exam shall be immediately dismissed from that class and the agency who generated the exam or test shall be immediately notified.
  • Any student who is found to have plagiarized any work of another author or previous student shall be dismissed from that class.
  • Any recruit who shares the content of any exam or written assignment shall be subject to dismissal from that class.
  • The State Division of Fire Safety will be duly advised of any infractions involving an State sanctioned exam.

Registration

  • Registration is to be completed and approved by the Emergency Services Representative with the authority to approve training.
  • Registration is to be completed by student or Chief Officer through the online registration program only.
  • Please use the same exact name, driver's license number and date of birth each time you register, so that all your course completions will be on the same transcript. Failure to do so will result in the student having multiple transcripts.
  • If you must drop a course you must drop from a course no less than 24 hours prior to the start of the course. To drop a course, go to our Drop a Course page and follow instructions.
  • No walk-ins will be permitted!

Registration Confirmations

  • A confirmation email will be sent to the email address used at the time of registration. Please keep this email for your confirmation number as it must be used to drop from the course through the online registration program.

Admittance & Attendance

  • Attendance at any Course Orientation is mandatory. Failing to attend an orientation shall be grounds to be dismissed from that class.
  • Students are responsible for signing the roster each date to receive credit for the lesson.
  • Classes will begin promptly at 7 pm weeknights and 8 am weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays unless otherwise specified. Students are to arrive for class on time and prepared.
    • A student who arrives more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time of a class will not be permitted entry into that class unless prior arrangements have been made with the point of contact/senior instructor.
    • Students arriving late must report their attendance to the instructor and shall sign-in at the designated time.
  • Attendance at all sessions is mandatory in order to successfully complete any course.
  • Students are not permitted to leave the Academy prior to class dismissal without prior approval from the instructor-in-charge of the facility.
  • Students who are absent for more than three sessions in any course will have to repeat the entire course. All make-ups must be authorized by the Fire 
  • Training Coordinator and no walk-ins will be allowed.
    • A student in the Firefighter 1 or Firefighter 2 programs who miss a class shall have an Absence Verification Form completed by their Chief or designated company officer, which shall be returned to the Academy upon their return to class.
  • If a session is missed, the student must contact the class's Point of Contact or Senior Instructor to schedule a makeup class.
    • Due to the complex nature of most practical sessions, make-up sessions may only take place during another scheduled session.
  • A student may not move on to the next practical session when a session missed has been deemed relevant and a prerequisite for a subsequent module, where safety might be compromised without having attended it.
  • Final examinations, practical or written, will not be taken by any student until all sessions have been completed.
  • Any course make-ups/ missed classes must be made up within 1 year. If the student fails to do so, they will be required to retake the entire course to be eligible of a certificate.
  • Classes under 30 hours will have no make ups. A student is responsible to attend all classes. If you are unable to attend all classes than the entire class must be repeated at the students expense.

Academic Requirements

  • Recruits are required to maintain pace with any class assignments, quizzes, online participation and/or workbooks. Failure to do so may require remedial measures and could result in dismissal from the class.
  • A score of 70% is necessary to successfully complete any Academy or State written exam, unless otherwise noted.
  • A score of 80% or greater shall be required to pass any State, Pro-Board/IFSAC or Academy practical exam.
  • Students who have a reading disability (i.e., comprehension, perception, illiteracy) should notify the Training Center Coordinator or Senior Instructor of this. Accommodations in assisting the student with course content will be made where and when it is practical.
  • ADA regulations and the State's Division of Fire Safety provide for certain accommodations to be made in testing.

Breaks

  • Break times are set at the discretion of the instructor.

Student Personal Safety

  • Cosmetics are not permitted during live fire training evolutions.
  • Students participating in any training where a respirator is to be used must have completed an OSHA Respiratory exam and shall provide proof by Academy form or an acceptable form that they are certified as medically fit to wear a respirator by a medical professional prior to the start of that class.
  • A valid Fit-Test must also be provided in any class where the student will be utilizing a respirator. A valid certificate is one which is no greater than 12 months prior to the end date of the course.
  • Jewelry shall not be worn during any practical class application (Exempted are Medical Alert devices provided they do not interfere with safe operations).
  • Hair shall not extend below the collar at any time during classroom or practical sessions.
  • Wigs or hair extensions will not be worn.
  • Caffeine consumption should be curtailed at least eight hours prior to any class with a physical component. Any student participating in a class with a physical component may not consume any caffeine enriched supplement or beverage during the class.
  • Any student taking a medication, prescribed or over-the-counter, which has known potential side effects that may affect their safety and participation in class activities, is to notify Academy staff prior to participation in any session.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • Levels of PPE required for a class shall be determined by the Academy commensurate with the content of the course and potential for exposure to injury.
  • All firefighters' Personal Protective Equipment must comply with current PEOSHA and NFPA standards.
  • All PPE shall be maintained and shall be fully functional as designed and shall be free of any defect including rips, tears, missing reflective striping, snaps, zippers buttons or Velcro which no longer fastens as designed
  • Helmets shall not have excessive adornments contrary to NFPA guidance, nor shall
  • Firefighting gloves should be compatible with the coats they are being worn with, i.e. wristlets are required on gloves where there are no thumb-holes in the coat wristlets.
  • Students with any facial hair that interferes, or potentially interferes with the face to face-piece seal will not be permitted to participate in evolutions requiring the use of a respirator.

Cellular Phones / Radios / Pagers

  • The use of cellular phones for voice or text communications during any class period is strictly prohibited. Phones maybe used only during designated breaks or after the class has been dismissed.
  • In the event of an emergent communication, the student shall dismiss themselves from the classroom or training area and go to a remote location where their conversation will not interfere with any classes in progress.
  • Any radio necessary for the performance of a student's duties shall be kept at a minimum volume and shall not disturb a class
  • Pagers shall be placed on silent/vibrate and pager/portable radio audio for on-duty personnel shall be set so as not to interfere with the performance of the class.

Electronic Devices

  • The use of personal computers, tablets, PDAs or similar devices for the purposes of taking notes is acceptable. Note: There is limited access to power sources in some classrooms and it is suggested that these devices be fully charged.
  • Devices used for these purposes should have any alerting or keystroke indicators silenced during class.

Visitors

  • Visitors are prohibited from entering the Fire Training area without an Academy personnel escort. All visitors must report directly to an Academy staff member upon arrival.

Photography

  • The taking of photos or any video recording during any class session is strictly prohibited without the expressed permission of the class's Senior Instructor or Point of Contact, and the consent of any persons appearing in said photography.