Who Should Apply
Anyone that is a member of a recognized fire department is eligible to apply for admission to the Oklahoma Smoke Diver course. The course is advanced firefighter training and is designed for experienced members. We recommend that you have at least two years experience before you consider the course but we no longer have a minimum service requirement.
You will be expected to have a mastered proficiency of Firefighter II level knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as being expected to be in top physical condition. You will be required to compete for admission to the program. This competition is managed through the Oklahoma Smoke Diver Qualification Test. Successful completion of the qualification test does not indicate that you will be successful in the Oklahoma Smoke Diver course. It is a minimum benchmark performance measure that evaluates several cognitive and psychomotor abilities. Completing the qualification process simply lets us know that you have the basic skills and ability to self train in order to fully prepare for success in the course.
The mental aspect of the program is more difficult to describe or prepare for. The most important mental factor is that you want to be a Smoke Diver. If you decide to apply because you just want a challenge, your buddy did it, or you really aren’t sure, then you are at an extreme disadvantage. Taking the course is a personal choice that you must make. This desire must be independent of anyone else’s expectations of you. If you are afraid of failure then you are at a disadvantage also. Many of our best members and instructors made several attempts at the course before they were successful. Experience does help with the mental preparation as well as being extremely motivated and adaptable. Being physically fit plays a big part in your mental preparedness. As you physically give out or break down it is difficult to maintain control of your mental faculties. This is however THE essential skill of a Smoke Diver.
The Training section of the website provides more detail and specifics regarding preparation for the program.
