State Fire Academy Graduates 25 in March
Staff Report From South Carolina CEO
Monday, March 4th, 2019
The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s South Carolina Fire Academy graduated 25 recruits, Friday, March 1, 2019, from its eight-week firefighter candidate school in Columbia. These firefighters underwent a 320-hour training program of classroom and hands-on firefighting skills development. Keynote speaker was Chief John C. Thomas from North Augusta Department of Public Safety.
“This challenging eight-week program requires commitment, passion, and dedication,” Fire Academy Superintendent Dennis Ray said. “These recruits have successfully worked together as a team, performed extensive hands-on training with live fires, and passed intensive practical skills evaluations and written tests to meet the National Fire Protection Association standards,” he said.
The comprehensive training, offered quarterly at the Fire Academy, includes emergency responder first aid training, hazardous materials operations training, auto extrication, flammable liquids and gas firefighting, rescue training, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firefighter I and Firefighter II levels.
“With the successful completion and graduation of these new firefighters who will now be dedicating their lives to serving their communities and the state, our South Carolina fire service is enhanced,” Ray said. “I am proud of their accomplishments and I also commend the dedicated Fire Academy instructors who brought the recruits through these weeks of instruction leading to graduation.”
The following recruits graduated March 1, 2019:
• Aurio Bea, Patrick Air Force Base (Wolfcreek)
• Susana Mae Burrows, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue
• Cody Clevinger, Burton Fire District
• Stephen Donati, St. John’s Fire District
• Matthew Galvin, Mount Pleasant Fire Department
• Andrew Gwinn, Georgetown City Fire Department
• James Hall, Troops to Firefighters
• Corby Hite, Circle Volunteer Fire Department
• Marquavius Howard, Greenwood City Fire Department
• Courtney Johnson, Lee County Fire Rescue
• Cody Jueden, St John’s Fire District
• Andrew Mostiler, Spartanburg Fire Department
• Tyler Nix, Burton Fire District
• Scott O’Neal, Burton Fire District
• Christian Patterson, Union Department of Public Safety
• Christopher Rauton, North Augusta Department of Public Safety
• Reginald Regester, Troops to Firefighters
• Logan Russ, Cayce Department of Public Safety
• Kevin Sheek, Indiana National Guard
• Kimberly Shivar, Clemson Fire Rescue
• Adam Smith, Open Enrollment
• Luke Smith, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue
• Jason Spindler, Mount Pleasant Fire Department
• David Turner, Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue
• Robert Weatherford, St John’s Fire District
The following awards were also presented:
Order of the Maltese – Adam Smith, Open Enrollment
The Maltese Cross is a firefighter’s badge of honor, signifying that he or she works in courage – a ladder rung away from death. The Eight Obligations of The Maltese Cross are: Live in Truth, Repent of Sins, Love Justice, Be Sincere and Whole–Hearted, Have Faith, Give Proof of Humility, Be Merciful, and Endure Persecution.
This award is chosen by the class recruits.
Chief Robert Frick – Kimberly Shivar, Clemson Fire Rescue
The Chief Robert Frick Award is given to the recruit with the highest grade point average.
Pride of the Battalion – Jason Spindler, Mount Pleasant Fire Department
The Pride of the Battalion award is given to the recruit who has demonstrated “Leadership, Integrity, Determination and Good Value.”
This award recipient is chosen by the instructor staff who worked with the recruits during the eight-week program.
The Fire Academy provides emergency services training to the municipal fire service - both paid and volunteer - airport crash rescue departments, industrial fire brigades and emergency teams and service organizations including EMS, law enforcement and military from around the state and the world. The Fire Academy is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress and National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) for multiple NFPA firefighter levels.
The Fire Academy and the State Fire Marshal’s Office make up the Division of Fire and Life Safety, which is a division of the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.