Austin Community College Fire Training Academy (ACCFTA) is designed for people wanting to begin a career in the fire service. The academy is an intensive semester long program that includes classroom and hands-on instruction. ACCFTA is offered in the fall and spring semesters. Classroom hours are conducted Monday-Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 p.m. Physical training is mandatory and is offered everyday after class. ACCFTA meets all requirements set forth by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP). It is a requirement of the TCFP that students attend a minimum of 468 hours of training. Therefore, daily attendance is MANDATORY!

Estimated cost: The cost for the academy varies per student, estimating at about $3500.00 for tuition and fees. Prices vary because leasing of dorm rooms and bunker gear is optional. You may bring your own NFPA approved gear. Tuition is based on your residency status (in-district, out-of-district). For residency questions please call the Admission & Records residency line at 223-7643. Please fill out the attached estimate of fees form for a personal estimate of your tuition and fees. Prices are subject to change. You will incur additional out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. uniform, dorm deposit, classroom supplies).

Admission process: Students must complete the admissions process at any campus Admissions and Records office. Click here to go to the ACC website for further college admission procedures. When completing the application your degree of choice should be "Basic Firefighter Certificate" or "College-Credit Certificate" and your major is "Firefighter". Prospective students should remember that acceptance by ACC does not guarantee admission into the Fire Academy.

Application process: Students must complete the Fire Academy application. You may submit your application directly from the website or you may download a print version and fax or mail your application to the address/phone # listed above.
Please send your application and supporting documentation only. Do not return the first two pages of this packet, this is information that you need to keep. This application process is not a first come first serve basis; every application will be reviewed on the same day. Proper documentation must accompany your application for validation purposes. The selection committee will evaluate you based on your application.

Click here for the print version of the application
The print version is an Adobe™ PDF file. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat ™ Reader, please download it here

Selection Criteria:

• Students must have completed admission to Austin Community College
• Applicants must provide supporting documentation, to be considered
• Applicants who are EMT certified, employed/sponsored at a fire department,
  and/or volunteer fire fighters will have first priority for enrollment

ACCFTA does not maintain a waiting list. Therefore, if you are not selected in this process, you will need to reapply. The classroom is limited to 30 seats and we normally have up to 100 applicants. Applications are reviewed in early May for the Fall term and in early November for the Spring term.

The academy will mail out acceptance letters one week after the applications are reviewed. Once acceptance letters have
been mailed out, all applications considered in the current selection process will be discarded.

Financial Aid: Apply now for financial aid!

Do not wait for acceptance to our program. Students may apply for grants, scholarships, loans, or all three. You may contact the Financial Aid office at any campus. Cadets attending the Fire Academy are considered full time students and receive 26 college credit hours. If you are a first-time borrower you will be required to attend a loan counseling session. This must be done prior to attending the Fire Academy. Click here to visit our Financial Aid website or you may contact the Financial Aid office at any campus by dialing 223-4AID or 223-4243.

Students who successfully complete the state certification exam are eligible to be hired by any paid fire department in the state of Texas. Individual hiring requirements vary from department to department.

Perspective firefighters will be subject to a background check by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Texas Department of Public Safety, and/ or future fire department employer.

Click here to go to the Fire Academy Curriculum