Fire Training
Aric Henkelman, MCC graduate.
First person to write a perfect score on Texas State Firefighter's examination.
Welcome to MCC Fire Academy!
In 1997, McLennan Community College and the City of Waco began a joint program to train fire fighters for central Texas. Frank Patterson became the first Chief Training Officer. Patterson left MCC to become the Emergency Management Coordinator for McLennan County in 1999, and Stephen Cook retired from the Austin Fire Department to become Chief Training Officer.
MCC currently runs two day academies every year. Both academies provide the entire curriculum required to be a paid fire fighter in the state of Texas, and allow for easy transfer of these certifications to most other states in the U.S, the Department of Defense and some foreign countries. These academies meet the requirements of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, the National Fire Protection Association, and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress. Successful candidates will obtain 24 college credit hours. MCC fire academy students are eligible for financial aid through the same methods used to apply for aid for any college credit course.
The academies take approximately sixteen weeks, meeting Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. In addition to the fire academy, successful candidates must complete and pass a recognized emergency medical services course. Although you can obtain certification with an Emergency Care Attendant or Red Cross Life Saver course, we strongly recommend that candidates get a minimum of an Emergency Medical Technician Basic certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. MCC offers the Emergency Medical Technician course as both credit and continuing education.
Mission Statement
The McLennan Fire Academy recruits and prepares young men and women to achieve their career goal of becoming paid fire fighters meeting Texas Commission on Fire Protection certification standards. The Academy facilitates communications between employers [Fire Departments and other entities employing certified fire fighters] and current and former MCC students. The Academy simulates an actual fire department environment, allowing students to assimilate into the fire-fighting culture.
To enter the MCC Fire Academy you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be eligible for entry into McLennan Community College, and have either a high school diploma or GED.
- You must have either passed the SAT, ACT, the reading portion of the MCC Accuplacer Test, or have college credit hours in non-remedial classes.
- You must be eligible to be a fire fighter in Texas. This means you may not have any felony convictions.
- You should discuss any Class A misdemeanors with the Chief Training Officer before attempting to enroll. If you have prior military service, we strongly recommend that if your DD214 is not either "honorable" or "general under honorable", that you talk with the Chief Training Officer before attempting to enroll.
- All cadets will engage in physical training. You must have a medical release from your physician.
- After enrolling at MCC, contact the Chief Training Officer at (254) 299-8755
for an orientation session.
Related Links
- http://www.tcfp.state.tx.us/ (Texas Commission on Fire Protection)
- http://www.nfpa.org/ National Fire Protection Association
- http://www.fema.gov/ Federal Emergency Management Agency
- http://www.ifsac.org/ International Fire Service Accreditation Congress
