Congratulations, Fire Officer Academy 24-01

March 13, 2024

Twenty-five company officers graduated from the Fire Officer Academy: The Company Officer on Friday, March 8, 2024.

Acceptance into the in-person portion of the program was not easy; the initial application required a resume and cover letter, and students were then tasked with dozens of hours of online assessments that the Selection Committee used to make the final roster. From the start, competition was fierce.

Every aspect of the Fire Officer Academy is intentional, beginning with the application. Students are told repeatedly throughout the week to trust the process; the cohesive intentionality of the program is made clear as the week progresses. It is something indescribable until experienced.

After spending the days going through classroom sessions and fieldwork, every afternoon concludes with an informal bay session. Here, these company officers are exposed to the best of the best of the South Carolina fire service. Legends like chiefs Carter Jones, Jonathan Jones, Dan Curia, Marquis Solomon, Charlie King, Bruce Kline, Will Vaigneur, Mark Davis, Jamie Helms, and Joe Palmer graciously spent time with FOA 24-01 in an effort to foster the current different makers in the fire service – the company officer. Thank y’all for investing in this program and these company officers.

South Carolina First Responders Assistance and Support Team (SC FAST) Director Patti Graham was the guest for the Tuesday evening bay session. Part of the online assessment includes a video from Ms. Patti and an essay on behavioral health where many FOA hopefuls were open about their mental health journeys. During the bay session, we saw a level of vulnerability that was unmatched the rest of the week. Thank you, Ms. Patti, for pouring into this group.

The instructor cadre is unique, and the majority is FOA alumni. Special thank you to Thomas Tardo, Andrew Morris, Ben Crenshaw, Dom Boyce, Lauren McDaniel, Blake Schultz, Micah Rains and cadre, Nick Ray and cadre, Jonah Smith and cadre, Blake Cartee and cadre, and Chris Spradley. The extensive list of instructors is close to 50 people in total; thank you to every individual who played a part in making sure this program continues to succeed. Your work is why company officers want to be a part of the Fire Officer Academy.

The agenda for the week attempts to encompass as many aspects of the company officer role as possible. Brad Kavetski and J Bird joined the group on Sunday to talk about firefighter cancer and prevention, while Scott King addressed peer fitness. Thank you Brad, J Bird, and Scott for giving FOA 24-01 important information and tools to take back home to their departments.

Clemson University Fire and EMS provided medical coverage all week. Thank you, Hayden Noordhuizen, for making sure the cohort stayed safe and healthy all week. This is a physically demanding program and we are thankful for Hayden’s presence last week.

The alumni network of the Fire Officer Academy is an asset to every graduate and will continue to grow in significance as more programs are held. The Wednesday night bay session and dinner are set aside for alumni to join the current class, break bread, and offer words of encouragement as the final, toughest stretch of the week is ahead. Thank you to FOA 23-02 for providing dinner on Wednesday and to every alumni who came into town.

We could not host the Fire Officer Academy without total buy-in from our local partners. The South Carolina Fire Academy allowed us to use their dorms, training facilities, and station bay all week. Lexington County Fire Service not only allowed us to use their apparatus and drivers, but also permitted us to use their training center. Columbia Fire Department provided equipment for Truck work. Irmo Fire District offered a special surprise during live burns on Friday by providing their tiller. We cannot say it enough – thank you for your strong partnership!

We prioritized capturing every angle of the Officer Academy. With 25 students and numerous instructors, it took a lot of manpower to photograph the week. Thank you to Elizabeth Jones with Irmo Fire and Caleb Jacobs with Columbia Fire for lending your time and talent. FOA 24-01 will be able to relive the week thanks to your hard work. View and download pictures.

Departments represented in FOA 24-01 include Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue; Clarendon County Fire Rescue; Greenwood City Fire Department; Hartsville Fire Department; St. Johns Fire District; McConnells Voluteer Fire Department; Bennettsville Fire Department; North Charleston Fire Department; City of North Myrtle Beach Fire Department; Anderson Fire Department; South Greenville Fire Department; North Spartanburg Fire District; City of Florence Fire Department; Lexington County Fire Service; Gantt District Fire Department; Kershaw County Fire Service; Orangeburg County Fire District; Simpsonville Fire Department; City of Conway Fire Department; Simpsonville Fire Department; Clear Spring Fire Rescue; and Parker District Fire Department. Thank you to every fire chief who signed off on investing in their company officer.

The future of the South Carolina fire service experienced a seismic shift because of what these 25 company officers learned during the Fire Officer Academy. Change starts small, and the seeds of change are now scattered throughout the state.

Congratulations, FOA 24-01. You persevered through adversity—because they come first. You pushed through the exhaustion—because they come first. You trusted the process—because they come first. You grew as officers, but you also grew as partners, friends, parents—because they come first. On Sunday, you were strangers; now, you are family.

Be proud of what you’ve accomplished. We most certainly are proud of you.

Applications for FOA 24-02, September 29-October 4, open June 1, 2024.