Sinclair Community College's Fire Academy — the largest fire academy in the state — now has a new, more modern home.
“This is all about helping more of our friends, our families, our neighbors get through, in some cases, the worst 10 minutes of their lives,” said Steve Johnson, president and CEO of Sinclair, during the event.
The new Fire Science Academy has a dedicated classroom with smart board technology, indoor space for students to practice skills such as putting on their gear, and a large parking lot where students can learn how to drive emergency vehicles.
Fire Sciences Technology Program Director Corey Gebhart said the new facility is a “huge improvement” over the program’s old one.
“Previously all of our equipment, or classroom, and everything was actually inside of a large garage,” Gebhart said.
He said that the old facility presented problems with diesel exhaust, training space, and overall cleanliness.
Sinclair Community College celebrated its new Fire Science Academy training center Monday morning with an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony.
The new facility, which takes up almost 1000 square feet, is located at 61 Commerce Park Drive in Dayton. At a rate of $11 per square foot, the cost of the facility equates to $106,195 annually. It is paid out of the college’s general fund lease budget.
Benita Capers, a student at the Fire Academy, said she appreciated the space offered by the facility.
“It’s also nice to have such wide space where we can actually do our physical training, and be spaced out, and not be bumping into each other,” Capers said.
The grand opening featured a traditional fire service “push in,” where attendees physically push a new engine into a bay. The tradition dates back to an 1800, when firefighting vehicles were horse-drawn. Vehicles had to be pushed into their bays after the horses were detached.
Along with the push-in, the ceremony included several interactive demonstrations. Guests could extinguish a fire, try on firefighter gear, and drag a dummy weighing over 100 pounds.
With over 100 graduates a year, Sinclair has Ohio’s largest fire academy. It’s also the only college-based fire academy in Ohio to be accredited by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications.
Sinclair Provost Rena Sebor said the academy is well-connected with fire houses in the area, including those in Huber Heights and Dayton. Students can train at Sinclair’s academy and gain work experience at affiliated departments.