Congratulations, Officer Academy 23-02

October 10, 2023

Twenty-five company officers graduated from the Fire Officer Academy: The Company Officer on Friday, October 6, 2023.

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. We received over 60 applications for OA 23-02 and the details in resumes, cover letters, and online assignment submissions were the difference makers.

Every aspect of the 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, Jonah Smith, Billy Floyd, Bruce Kline, Will Vaigneur, Chris Kip, Mark Davis, and Joe Palmer graciously spent time with OA 23-02 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.

The instructor cadre is unique, and the majority is Officer Academy alumni. Special thank you to Brad Kavteski, Scott King, Thomas Tardo, Andrew Morris, Ben Crenshaw, Dom Boyce, Jason Poole, Lauren McDaniel, 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 Officer Academy.

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

We could not host the 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. 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, FyeWorkz Photography, and Caleb Jacobs for lending your time and talent. OA 23-02 will be able to relive the week thanks to your hard work. All pictures are available.

Departments represented in OA 23-02 include South Greenville; Columbia; Bennettsville; Parker District; North Spartanburg; Beaufort/ Port Royal; Colleton County; Anderson City; Hanahan; Lexington County; Florence; North Charleston; Lugoff; Jasper County; Greenwood City; Gantt District; Indian Land; Greenville City; Kershaw County; City of Rock Hill; Darlington County/Pageland; Summerville; Horry County; Clemson; and Hilton Head Island. 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 Officer Academy. Change starts small, and the seeds of change are now scattered throughout the state.

Congratulations, OA23-02. 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 the March 3-8, 2024 Fire Officer Academy: The Company Officer close on October 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.