About Our Company

After teaching for approximate 7 years, PA State Fire instructor, Jacque S. Greiff became disillusioned with many of the fire and rescue courses being taught, through out the east. As a direct result, in late 1986 he organized F.I.R.E.S. - Firefighting Instruction & Rescue Educational Services. Jacque saw the need for courses that were more sophisticated, intensive, more complete, and better than the courses that were then being taught.

Jacque was also very unhappy with something that he had experienced in many classes that he had attended. During many of the "hands on" type classes he noticed that he and the other students spent most of their time standing or sitting around, "waiting their turn," instead of actually doing something. He was also aware that during State or County courses he was then teaching he was unable to "change the system." Budget restrictions did not allow for enough instructors to teach the large number of students usually registered (at that time, as many as 45 students a class). Jacque was determined to correct this problem. People come to a class to learn, not to sit around and talk!

Jacque had always felt the need to "teach" students - not just show them how to do something. Again this seemed to relate back to the instructor to student ratio. Jacque found that in many cases the instructors had never been shown how to properly relate the information to the students. Jacque felt that teaching an instructor to teach a subject should entail more than just taking that course - then - being sent out to teach it. Jacque felt that after the instructor was taught how to teach a given course, they should then teach students on a 1:1 basis, even when the student was part of a full class. Jacque was determined to teach his instructors to teach the students - not the class.

F.I.R.E.S. has been able to "teach" students more effectively for several reasons. We teach our instructors the courses, lessons, and the methodology. We teach them to teach. The lessons that we teach are more intensive. We use tried and true techniques, and state of the art, safe, methods. We are constantly evaluating, upgrading, and improving our individual courses and the courses' content. And, we have a greater instructor to student ratio than just about anyone. In most courses: 1 instructor for every 6 students (6:1). Using more instructors, means something very important. The students have more HANDS ON TIME, they have more fun, and they learn more.