Online Fire Recruit Academy eligible for Blinn College credit

COLLEGE STATION – Students who complete the TEEX online Recruit Fire Training Academy are now eligible for up to 25 college credit hours through Blinn College.

The agreement, signed in December, provides college credit for the new blended learning course, which was launched in 2012 by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service in conjunction with PennWell Corp. The comprehensive course prepares participants for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Firefighter I and II certification testing.

The new agreement means that veterans or other students who enroll in the program through Blinn College are eligible for financial aid as well as college credit, said Jason Loyd, Training Manager for the online firefighter training academy.

The program is a highly interactive and comprehensive blended fire training course that meets National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications, as well as NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents, prerequisites, Loyd said.

Students have up to 90 days to complete the 335-hour online portion of the training, followed by a 21-day, 210-hour hands-on skills training session at Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station for a total of 545 hours of training, he added.

Students who pass both the skills testing and the written exam for each level will receive up to six Pro Board certifications and be considered a certified firefighter, Loyd said. The course has graduated 22 firefighters so far, with 44 currently enrolled. All of the students have passed the Pro Board NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II certification exam, he added.

“It is not possible to compare the education that TEEX offers its online students because it does not compare to anyone else!” said David Bohls, who graduated from the program in August 2012. “TEEX is providing a comprehensive and real-world education to all that want to become firefighters!”