Congratulations, Fire Officer Academy 25-01

March 11, 2025

Twenty-five company officers graduated from the Fire Officer Academy: The Company Officer on Friday, March 7, 2025.

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, Dan Curia, Marquis Solomon, Charlie King, Bruce Kline, Will Vaigneur, and Chris Kip graciously spent time with FOA 25-01 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, Jason Poole, Chris Tennyson, 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. Assistant Chief Scott King joined the group on Sunday to talk about firefighter cancer and prevention and peer fitness. Thank you Chief King for giving FOA 25-01 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 24-01 for providing dinner on Wednesday and to every alumnus who came into town.

We could not host the Fire Officer Academy without total buy-in from our local partners. The 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 provided equipment for Truck work. North Spartanburg Fire Department and Greenville City Fire Department loaned the simulation props. Wally’s Fire and Safety Equipment provided the latest state-of-the-art thermal imagers. 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, Caleb Jacobs with Columbia Fire, and Sean Nordaby with Orangeburg County Fire District (FOA 24-01) for lending your time and talent. FOA 25-01 will be able to relive the week thanks to your hard work and talent.

Departments represented in FOA 25-01 include GSP Airport Fire Department, North Myrtle Beach, City of Hartsville Fire Department, Clemson University Fire & EMS, Lugoff Fire Department, Columbia Fire, Greenwood City Fire Department, Anderson Fire Department, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Fire Department, C&B Fire Department, City of Beaufort/ Town of Port Royal, City of Newberry Fire Department, West Columbia Fire Department, Greenville City Fire Department, Saint Andrews Fire Department, Irmo Fire District, Simpsonville Fire Department, Fountain Inn Fire, Bluffton Township Fire District, Easley Fire Department, North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue, Lugoff Fire Department, Spartanburg City Fire, and Pelham Batesville 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 25-01. 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 day 1, you were strangers; now, you are family.

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

Applications for FOA 25-02, September 28-October 3, open June 1, 2025.