Recommendation Reportfor

Small-Scale Fire Departments

“Most Advantageous Fire Academy to Send New Recruits”

Masen Speir

Advanced Organizer• Introduction• Fire Academies• Methods • Results: Pricing/Certifications • Results: Course Time Breakdown• Results: Facilities/Equipment/Props• Results: Organized Data• Conclusions • Recommendations• References

Fire Fighting • Firefighter Deaths, 2013• Fire Fighting and the Influence on the Body• Small Scale Fire Departments • Importance of Firefighter Safety Taught Through Training

Fire Academies

• TEEX Brayton Fire Training Field(College Station, TX)

• Texas Fire Academy (San Marcos, TX)

• Northeast Texas Fire Academy (Sulphur Springs, TX)

Methods:How Do They Stack Up?

• Pricing/Certifications?

• Facilities/Equipment/Props?

• Class lecture hours, live/hands-on training, and overall course length?

• Compile all researched data and provide an overall best choice?

Results: Pricing/Certifications

Pricing of Each Academy

Teex (Full)

Teex (Hybrid)

Northeast Texas (Full)

Texas Fire

Academy (Hybrid)

$0

$1,000

$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

$5,300 $5,700

$2,700 $3,075

Price $

Fire Academy

Cost

$

Certifications AvailableTEEX Fire Academy (Full Course)

• IFSAC Firefighter I&II• Pro Board Firefighter I&II• Hazardous Materials Awareness• Hazardous Materials Operations

TEEX Fire Academy (Partial Online)• IFSAC Firefighter I&II• Pro Board Firefighter I&II• Hazardous Materials Awareness• Hazardous Materials Operations

Northeast Texas Academy (Full Course)• Pro Board Firefighter I&II• Hazardous Materials Awareness• Hazardous Materials Operations

Texas Fire Academy (Partial Online Course)• Pro Board Firefighter I&II• Hazardous Materials Awareness• Hazardous Materials Operations

Results:Course Time Breakdown

Teex (Full) Teex (Hybrid) Northeast Texas Academy (Full)

Texas Fire Academy (Hybrid)

0

50

100

150

200

250

84

21

84 77

0

90

0

126

Total Time Completion of Academies

Online Days In Class/Live Training Days

Fire Academy

Days

to C

ompl

ete

Results:Facilities/Equipment/Props

TEEX (Full Course)• 297 Acre Facility • 132 Specific Training Stations• Portable Extinguisher Fires (#17)• Aircraft Fires (#30)• Process Complex Fires (#31) • Pipe Rack Fires (#32)• Compressor Station Fires (#33)• Chemical Complex Fires (#34)• Special Hazard Area Fires (#41)• Pump Alley Fires (#42)• Aerial Cooler Fires (#43)• Bulk Storage Fires (#45)• Rail Car Loading Rack Fires (#46)• Tank & Dike Fires (#47)• Structural Burn Complex Fires (#50-51)• Warehouse Fires (#53)• Apartment/Commercial/Retail Complex

Fires (#56, #63)• Gas Transport Fires (#64)• LPG Transport Fires (#65)• LPG-Fires/Vapor Dispersion (#66)• Well Head (#67)• Ship (#80-82)• LNG Fires (#88)• Ranking (facilities, props, equipment):

#1

TEEX (Hybrid Course)

• Same as TEEX Full Course

• Ranking (facilities, props, equipment): #1

Northeast Texas Academy (Full Course)

• Four Story Drill Tower• Burn House• Car Fire Simulator • Propane Fire• Urban Search and Rescue• Ventilation Simulator• Extrication Props• Drafting Pit• High Angle Rescue Prop • Rappelling Prop• Ranking (facilities, props,

equipment): #3

Texas Fire Academy (Hybrid)

• Working Fire Station • Simulated Fire Props• Simulated Rescues • Simulated Hazardous

Materials Prop• Ranking (facilities, props,

equipment): #4

Results:Organized Data

Fire Academy Cost $ Time to Complete

Facilities, Equipment,

Props RankingsCertifications

TEEX (Full) $5,300 84 Days #1 IFSAC Firefighter I&IIPro Board Firefighter I&II

TEEX (Hybrid) $5,700 111 Days #1 IFSAC FirefighterI&IIPro Board Firefighter I&II

Northeast Texas Fire Academy (Full)

$2,700 84 Days #3 Pro Board Firefighter I&II

Texas Fire Academy (Hybrid)

$3,075 203 Days #4 Pro Board Firefighter I&II

Conclusions

• After reviewing and comparing TEEX Fire Academy (Full Course & Hybrid), Northeast Fire Academy, and Texas Fire Academy we found many factors that differ between each academy. They each differ in cost and certifications, time to complete, and what facilities are provided at each location.

Recommendations• The best recommendation to the smaller scale fire departments of

Central Texas is to put their recruits through the Online/Hybrid version of TEEX Fire Academy.

• This is because TEEX’s Hybrid Fire Academy offers the critical training it takes to keep a firefighter safe and prepared on the job. Its superior training facilities, props, and equipment allows recruits to be introduced to a number of powerful scenarios and situations that Northeast Texas Fire Academy and Texas Fire Academy cannot provide.

• TEEX’s Hybrid Academy takes only slightly longer to complete than the full course but provides the flexibility of an online course while recruits receive the same certifications plus IFSAC Firefighter I&II, and it is still 92 days shorter than Texas Fire Academy.

• Yes, at $5,700 it is the most expensive option, however, in the fire service training is not the place to cut corners. Proper and vigorous training saves the lives of firefighters.

References• Rita F. Fahy, Paul R. LeBlanc and Joseph L. Molis (2014). Firefighter Fatalities in the United States. Retrieved

from http://www.nfpa.org/

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014). Occupational Outlook Handbook—Firefighting. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/

• Mika Calfee (2014). Fire Service Hiring & Training Practices. Fire Service Information. Retrieved from http://www.fireserviceinfo.com/

• Rene Rossi (2014). Fire Fighting and the Influence on the Body. Ergonomics, volume 46, issue 10. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/

• A Member of the Texas A&M University System (2014). Firefighter Recruit Academy. Retrieved from http://www.teex.com/

• Northeast Texas Fire Academy (2014). Retrieved from http://www.fireskills.com/

• Hays County Emergency Services District #3 (2014).Texas Fire Academy. Retrieved from http://www.texasfireacademy.com/