Offered at the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center

The Basic Fire Academy is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career as a certified firefighter. The curriculum includes a combination of class lectures, skills and field training. This program is approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to be taught in a block format to provide for an appropriate and logical sequence of competency mastery. The instruction and competencies for the following courses are integrated into the sequence provided in the curriculum for the Basic Structural Firefighter. This training curriculum exceeds minimum hour requirements set forth by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Upon successful completion of the academy, students will be eligible to take a written exam and skills evaluation administered by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. All course work must be complete and the certificate of completion issued before applying for the state examination. All coursework is International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) approved.

Program Admission Requirements

1. Must be 18 years of age.
2. Must have completed high school or equivalent.
3. Complete a Counseling Data Packet that is available in the Academy Coordinator’s Office and pay a $25 application fee which is used to complete a criminal history records check, fingerprinting and skills Assessment.
4. Must complete South Plains College admissions requirement. Admission to South Plains College does not guarantee admission to the academy.
5. Must complete academy application process at least two weeks prior to beginning of the academy.
6. Must pass the academy minimum entry physical agility test.
7. Meet the minimum standards as outlined in Section 403.1 of the current edition of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection Standards for Fire Protection Personnel.
8. Be screened and approved by the Academy Admissions Committee.

Completion of EMT-Basic prior to Fire Academy Application process is strongly encouraged and priority may be placed on applicants who have attained EMT-Basic or higher EMS certification.

To qualify for the Certificate of Proficiency, the students must complete a Capstone Experience during the final semester of the program.

The coordinator’s office will mail notification to all applicants as to their admittance to the academy. A student who fails to meet the standards outlined in the applicant’s counseling data packet will be refused admission to the academy.

Program advisor is Matt Hixson, coordinator and instructor in fire technology.

Certificate of Proficiency