The first regional recruit school was conducted during the winter of 2000/2001 and included new hires from both the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department and the Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Department. The second regional recruit school was conducted during the fall of 2001 and included new hires from all Roanoke County, City and the City of Salem Departments.
The history of new hire training in the City of Roanoke prior to this is as follows:
Prior to 1984, all firefighters were hired and assigned directly to a fire company. It was at the fire station that the firefighters received basic instruction in fire training. Most of this instruction was conducted by the company officer, usually a captain. The department drill master evaluated the firefighters skill and knowledge in various subjects. At that time, all firefighters were evaluated at three- and six-month intervals. At the third month, the captain would evaluate the firefighters' performance. At the six-month mark, the department drill master evaluated the firefighters' skill and knowledge. This would determine if the firefighter received a merit raise, as well as making it off probation.
In 1984, the department held the first official fire academy. Dubbed the Roanoke Fire Academy, First Basic School, this started a new era in fire training. Practically every year since then, the department has held a fire academy for the new recruits. What began as an eight-week academy evolved into the current 14-week program. Originally, this academy consisted of recently hired employees that had been assigned to the field for varying lengths of time. When enough new employees were hired, an academy was conducted and the new employees were assigned to a 40-hour week and completed whatever training they were lacking.
In 1995, the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services merged to create the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. The merger and a new chief resulted in the establishment of the standard of conducting new-hire training prior to placing new employees in the field. Since 1997, the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department has conducted the Fire-EMS Academy on an as-needed basis. All new hires are required to graduate from the academy before being placed into a fire-EMS company. Once in a company, new recruits are on a 12-month probation period. During this time, they are evaluated on job performance. At the end of the 12 months, new recruits are required to successfully pass a probationary firefighters' exam to become a full-time employee.