The purpose of the Clark County Fire Department’s Explorers Program is to expose young men and women (ages 16 to 21) to the fire service. It offers an excellent opportunity for its members to decide if this is a career they’d like to pursue.

The fire service is a strict paramilitary organization, so is the Explorers Program. Members are expected to adhere to all the standards of dress, personal hygiene and behavior set forth by the Clark County Fire Department.

Getting started is simple. Prospective new members need only show up at the next Saturday morning meeting at 7:30 am. They must be dressed in jeans, with a belt, a white T-shirt with no markings and running shoes. They must be clean-shaven, with no earrings or visible piercing.

There are five steps in the entrance process:

1. New members must show a dedication to the Program by attending six consecutive meetings.
2. On the seventh meeting, new members must bring a one-page, typed, double-spaced essay explaining why they want to become a CCFD Explorer.
3. Must pass a written exam based on the Del Mar Firefighters Handbook (2nd edition) chapter on fire behavior. Study material for this will be provided on the 6th meeting. This test will be a combination of multiple-choice and fill in the blank questions.
4. Must pass a physical exam that consists of the following components:
   1. 1.5 mile run in less than 13 minutes
   2. A minimum of 45 sit-ups in one minute
   3. A minimum of 30 push ups in one minute
   4. A hose drag of 200 ft. with 100 ft. of 1¾-inch hose
5. Must successfully complete a personal interview with a question and answer period. This is used to gauge the new members attitude and allow them to ask questions.

All meetings are held on Saturdays at the Clark County Fire Training Center. The Training Center is located at 4425 W. Tropicana Avenue. It's the southeast corner of Tropicana Ave and Arville Rd, across from the Orleans Hotel and Casino (map). Meetings start promptly at 8:00 a.m., and will be approximately five hours long. Members arriving late will be denied entrance.

Attendance at these meetings is essentially mandatory although excused absences will be considered (school, CCFD events, some family matters). All excused absences have to be approved by Platoon TAC Officers. Unexcused absences are considered “no call, no show.” Two (2) “no call, no shows” in a one-year period will constitute grounds for dismissal from the Program. You must make up excused absence times by volunteering on a one-hour to one-hour basis within 30 days or it will become an unexcused absence.

Explorers must maintain a minimum test average of 80%. Test scores of less than 80% will result in the Explorer being counseled on how to improve. If a third failing grade occurs, then the Explorer will be demoted. On the fourth offense, the Explorer will be asked to leave the Program.

Physical ability will be benchmarked on a quarterly basis. Explorers are expected to show progress in all areas of the physical ability test. The fire service is a very demanding physical profession; therefore, if the Explorer does not show progress from test to test, they will be counseled progressively with a policy of third offense dismissal from the Program. Appropriate physical conditioning cannot be achieved once every two weeks; therefore, a consistent, self-motivated physical program will be essential for success.

Community service and volunteer time are vital parts of the Clark County Fire Department Explorers Program. Explorers will be required to volunteer a minimum of four (4) hours per month. Explorers can either volunteer within or outside of the fire department but all times must be documented.

• White shirt - first six meetings
• Explorer 1 - up to six months
• Explorer 2 - unlimited time (ride along level)
• Explorer 2 Officer – Captain or Lieutenant of a platoon
• Cadet - must have been a Platoon Officer to be considered

For more Information about the Explorers Program please visit the Clark County Explorers website.