02 Jan International fellowship programme
As part of the International Association of Fire Chief’s International Fellowship Program six firefighters from Saudi Arabia have joined the firefighters of Charlotte North Carolina in the USA.
After completing an initial training program and skills verification activities, the Saudi firemen will be embedded at fire stations for six months.
Charlotte is one of 16 US cities chosen to host Saudi firefighters, which is being seen as a massive opportunity to pass on different skills and strategies to create more well-rounded fire departments.
For the past six years the International Fellowship Program has graduated 19 cohorts. The experienced firefighters in the programme all work for Saudi Aramco, with the company sponsoring the firefighters’ visit.
The four key objectives to the program are:
- Strenghten core competencies through exposure to high-call volume operational environments
- Develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities according to industry best-practices
- Adopt the leadership principles of the US fire service, and
- Understand the culture and values of the US fire service