Newborn during fire academy

[maverick80]

My city anticipates starting Fire Academy for new cadets this summer. My wife and I are expecting our firstborn in early August, in the middle of academy. Of course, there is a strict attendance policy for academy - and I'm not sure about whether cadets are permitted to miss a couple of days of academy. I really want (need) to be present for labor & delivery. In your experiences, have your employers allowed you to miss a couple of days of fire academy so that you can be present for the birth of your child?

I plan to inquire directly when class is officially scheduled. But it would be very helpful if I could get from you all a general sense of what I might expect.

[fire49]

Congrats

Sounds like you are headed in right direction

Ask the staff


Or induce labor on a Friday??? If you have the weekend off??


Sounds like you understand you will be in a probation period

[FWDbuff]

I plan to inquire directly when class is officially scheduled.

I would not ask any officials with the Human Resources Department. I would think they would be less tolerant of you asking this than the Fire Department themselves.

You will be joining the ranks of an organization that is very family-oriented, in fact a family in and among itself. Do you currently have any friends who are officers in the Department now? If so, I would make an unofficial inquire to them- see what they think, get their feeling for you making that request at the beginning of your Academy. I would think that they might let you have a day or two but they are not going to grant you an open free ride ticket. I would think that the better your grades are, the more they will be willing to work with you. The worse your grades are......

Also keep in mind that they willl expect you to keep and maintain your passing grades, and that includes any any all homework. You will be given no lieniency just because you have a newborn at home. Remember, other recruits may have newborns or kids at home.

The Fire Academy is the most important part of your career, and you must complete it in full, with passing grades. However the birth of a newborn (in my mind) is reason to grant you a day or two- as long as you make up what you missed out on.

Good luck in your profession, and good luck in being a Father, from both a (former) career FF and a father expecting #3 in late May.

[TL678]

The fire dept takes care of their own even the cadets. Like FWDbuff stated don't bother with HR. 1st day of the acadmey explain the situation to your 1st line sup(instructor) Im sure they will work something out.

[WD6956]

The fire dept takes care of their own even the cadets. Like FWDbuff stated don't bother with HR. 1st day of the acadmey explain the situation to your 1st line sup(instructor) Im sure they will work something out.

This. I attended a training program for another job that was 14 weeks of school and it was told to us again and again, "You cannot miss ANY class unless you a deathly ill and bedridden". But we had a guy in class who's mother had a stroke and he missed 4 days it as a non issue. The instructors helped him catch up.

A death or serious injury in a family as well as Childbirth are all unofficial, official excuses to miss class if you need to. Taking a day or two off to attend the birth and make sure all is well should not be any sort of issue. The Academy is important, but they understant how important the birth of a child is as well.

[BoxAlarm187]

The others are on the target. When I was assigned to the training academy, we'd typically grant either one or two days off (depending on the day of the week) for recruits that experienced a death in the immediate family, the birth of a child, or other life-changing event. Explain your situation to the instructors in a non-demanding fashion, and you should be good to go.

[johnny46]

The hospital staff can handle labor and delivery.

[maverick80]

The hospital staff can handle labor and delivery.

@johnny46: Surely you jest! I don't doubt the competency of the hospital staff. My desire to be present is rooted in wanting to experience the most significant moment in my life alongside my wife. As much as I love the fire service and appreciate the importance of fire academy, there are still some things that are more important in my life. Witnessing the birth of my firstborn and supporting my wife through delivery definitely trumps a class or two of academy.

I suppose there's no need to attend my child's graduation or attend a loved one's funeral because both of those events can be handled without my presence, right? Again, I hope your comment was intended to be sarcastic. But I've been on this forum long enough to know that such a comment might have been a serious one...lol.

As for everyone else, thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate your input and perspective. I'll be sure to respectfully explain my situation to the lead instructor and hopefully arrange to take a day or two off if my wife gives birth during the week. Someone suggested inducing labor as an option. Actually, my wife and I talked about this but our insurance won't cover the cost of induced labor unless it's medically necessary.

[BoxAlarm187]

@johnny46: Surely you jest!

Johnny provides lessons in humor and sarcasm at the VFW hall on Thursdays at 7:30.

[fire49]

Johnny provides lessons in humor and sarcasm at the VFW hall on Thursdays at 7:30.

Is he the opening act for Charlie sheen??????

[BoxAlarm187]

Is he the opening act for Charlie sheen??????

Yes, however, he's managed not to get booed off stage yet. He's winning!

[johnny46]

I got the tiger blood.

[tajm611]

Academies make many accommodations for children. They graduate half of them.

[CGITCH]

I got the tiger blood.

and the Adonis DNA?

[neiowa]

Johnny provides lessons in humor and sarcasm at the VFW hall on Thursdays at 7:30.

And whatever his actual opinion he is correct.

How many thousand troops in the last 10years (or 200years) do you think missed birth of a kiddy because they were training/deployed/wounded? Take the "excuse" available and take care of BUSINESS. In the delivery room you're as useless and as a nonlactating supernumary gland. All that the new critter requires immediately mom can produce (hopefully). You got nothing. Take care of business and prepare to provide what he/she needs in the future.

1st one's arrival may seem like a big event but after a couple more, and getting a dose of reality, not so much. It will happen all the same if you're in the room, school, or Tora Bora.