COLLEGE STATION – Sixty new firefighters graduated Dec. 19 from the 23rd Online Firefighter Recruit Academy at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). They completed 335 hours of training online before traveling to College Station for an intensive 21-day, hands-on firefighting “boot camp” at Brayton Fire Training Field.
The graduates came from five U.S. states, plus Canada, Croatia and United Arab Emirates. Chief Mark R. Ledford of Joint Base San Antonio was the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony, which was held at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at Texas A&M University, followed by a reception at the TEEX Brayton Fire Training Field.
Online Recruit Program Training Manager Jason Loyd presented the class awards. Class valedictorian was Christian Cisneros of Avalon, CA. The class voted Charles Stevener of Bryan, TX, as the “Most Outstanding Cadet.”
The Firefighter Recruit Academy prepares entry-level firefighters to earn the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and ProBoard certifications for Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Hazardous Materials Awareness and HazMat Operations.
The program is eligible for college credit through the Fire Science Technology degree program at Blinn College and the Fire and Emergency Services Administration degree program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
The TEEX Academy meets or exceeds the requirements in most states and countries for preparation and/or certification of municipal firefighters. The Online Firefighter Recruit Academy has trained over 700 certifiable firefighters since the first class was held in 2012.
Learn more about the TEEX blended learning and traditional Firefighter Academies.