Kentucky Fire Commission Report

After the overwhelming success of the Recruit Academy pilot program last fall, the former National Responder Preparedness Center, located in Greenville, has officially rebranded as The Fire Academy of Kentucky, and welcomed 21 new recruits to Recruit Academy Class 002 on February 13, 2023.

The class is made up of recruits from 10 different fire departments from across Kentucky, from London to Paducah, and includes 20 males, one female, 19 Caucasians, one African American, and one Hispanic. Twelve of the recruits join the class with zero firefighting experience and are brand new to the fire service. The remaining nine recruits range from six months to nine years of experience from various other roles. Four of the recruits have served or are serving in the military, with one of the recruits being sent to the Recruit Academy by the Kentucky National Guard Firefighting Teams. The youngest recruit is 18 years old and the oldest is 42, with a class-average age of 27. New to the Recruit Academy this year is the acceptance of volunteer firefighters to the program. This class received one recruit from Concord Volunteer Fire Department, with the remaining 20 recruits being hired through a career department.

The Fire Academy of Kentucky sits on a nearly 60-acre campus and is currently constructing a new facility with offices for the expanding full-time staff and new larger classrooms, along with a large drive-through bay area and dorm rooms. The campus is surrounded by the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center, a 12,000-acre training ground for the Kentucky National Guard. Recruits live in the military dorms throughout the week and are provided meals. Recruits report to the main facility each morning and begin their day with one hour of physical conditioning, followed by all-day training in numerous topics ranging from structural firefighting, aircraft firefighting, hazardous materials, vehicle extrication, first-aid, and CPR. The trainings vary from intense live-fire scenarios to the classroom learning about fire dynamics. Recruits will remain in the Academy for 13 weeks and graduate on May 12.

Upon completion of the academy, recruits will have earned nearly 400 training hours, including 300 hours in topics required by the Kentucky Fire Commission to become eligible for annual incentive pay in addition to their salaries. Pending successful testing at the end of the academy, recruits will earn certificates from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) in Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Hazardous Materials Awareness, Hazardous Materials Operations, and Driver Operator Pumper and Mobile Water Supply. IFSAC certifications are accredited and recognized internationally in the fire service.

The Recruit Academy and all meals, lodging, and training materials are provided at no cost to Kentucky fire departments. The next Recruit Academy class is scheduled to begin on August 21, 2023. For more information on The Fire Academy of Kentucky, please reach out to Academy Coordinator Pat Thompson at pat.thompson@kctcs.edu.

- Submitted by Dustin Staves

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