The Fire Academy of Kentucky

08/14/2026

🚨 CLASS 009 — YOU’RE UP! 🚒🔥

The Fire Academy of Kentucky is officially welcoming Class 009 on Monday, and y’all… we’ve got 43 new recruits representing 22 departments from across the Commonwealth coming through our doors! 🇺🇸🚒

We’ve got a little bit of everything in this group: volunteer departments, paid departments, recruits we’ve had the pleasure of working with during our EMT class, AND a whole bunch of new faces we can’t wait to get to know.

To all of the departments who have trusted us with your recruits: THANK YOU. Seriously. We are incredibly grateful for your continued support and for trusting us to be part of this journey. We’re looking forward to watching these recruits learn, grow, get pushed out of their comfort zones, and become the firefighters you’re counting on them to be. 👏🏼🔥

And because I don’t know how to make a short Facebook post… 😂

I’ll do my best to keep y’all updated throughout their 11-week journey with us! That means pictures, updates, accomplishments, probably some questionable moments, and enough words to make you wonder if I’ve ever heard of a character limit. 🤣

So BUCKLE UP.
And tell everybody you know to FOLLOW THIS PAGE. 👀

We’re a lot of fun around here.
🦝 Or at least we think we are. 🙃

To our incoming recruits: travel safe, get here in one piece, bring your A-game, and get ready. Your next 11 weeks are about to be one heck of a ride.

🔥 WELCOME ABOARD, CLASS 009! 🔥

Let’s get to work. 🚒💪🏼

08/07/2026

🚑 And just like that… EMT Class 2026 is officially in the books.

Five weeks ago they walked in bright-eyed, nervous, and wondering what they had gotten themselves into. Today? They walked out stronger, smarter, more confident, and just a little more sleep deprived. As it turns out, learning to save lives is hard work. Who knew? 😉

We’ve watched these recruits grow every single week, and that’s the best part of what we do. They showed up, put in the work, took the constructive criticism (most of the time 😏), and proved they were up for the challenge.

Now let’s talk about the real MVPs… our instructors. The ones who answered a million questions, demonstrated the same skills over and over, encouraged, corrected, coached, and somehow managed to keep everyone alive…including each other. 😂 As I’ve said about 4,729,284 times… it takes a village. Lucky for us, we’ve got the best one around. ❤️

Today was a little bittersweet. We said goodbye (for now) to our friends from previous Fire Academy classes. We’ll miss your faces around here… probably. 😉 And to our recruits heading right back into Recruit Class 009 on August 17… we aren’t even pretending to say goodbye. Just don’t unpack your bags (read that novel email I sent you) and we’ll see ya real soon. 😅

To every department that trusted us with your recruits—thank you. We know they’re the future of your departments, and we’re honored to play a small role in helping prepare them for what’s ahead.

Congratulations, EMT Class 2026! Go take care of your communities, never stop learning, trust your training… and remember… somewhere out there is an instructor who can still hear you asking, “Wait… can you show us that one more time?” 🤣

Now go do great things.

(And don’t let us see your name in an incident report unless it’s because you did something awesome. 😘) 🚒🚑

08/05/2026

07/31/2026

🚑 Week 4 ✔️

Well, friends… we’re down to FIVE. CLASS. DAYS. 😳

Somebody check on the recruits. And maybe their instructors, too.

Me?! I’m fine. Everything is fine. Swear. 🥴 Nobody’s grouchy. Everyone is SUPER pleasant. Just peachy ’round here. We LOVE it. 🙃

Just kidding. If I’ve said, “That’s hateful,” once this week, I’ve said it approximately 47,292,847 times. Sometimes I’m talking to myself. It’s totally fiiiiine. 😂 Really. We are THRIVING here.

Seriously though… we’ve seen such a huge boost in confidence over the last few weeks, and it’s been so much fun watching everything start to click. Their ride time experiences seem to have been a success, and we can’t thank all of the preceptors, departments, and EMS services enough for taking these recruits under your wing. You shared your knowledge, your experience, and probably your snacks. (Hopefully not your bad habits. 😉)

It truly takes a village, and we have the best one around. We appreciate every single one of you.

Now recruits… enjoy your weekend. Sleep. Eat. Pretend you’re not thinking about next week. We all know you’re going to wake up Sunday afternoon with that little “Oh no… tomorrow is Monday” feeling. 😂

One final week. One final push.

If you think about it over the weekend, send up a prayer, throw out some good vibes, cross your fingers… whatever your thing is. These recruits have worked hard, and next week is the week that determines whether they’ll be eligible to sit for their NREMT.

We believe in you. (Even if you’re currently pretending not to look at your EMT book until Sunday night.)

See y’all Monday. Let’s go finish this thing. ❤️🚑

07/24/2026

Another week down! 👏

It’s been a little quiet on the home front this week as our EMT recruits spent the week with their respective departments and ambulance services completing ride time and gaining valuable patient contacts. There may not have been classroom photos to share, but make no mistake…the learning has been happening. 🤓

A huge thank you to every department, ambulance service, preceptor, and provider who has invested their time, knowledge, and patience into helping make this class successful. We truly couldn’t do it without you. 🚑 🚒 👨‍🏫

And to our recruits…thank you for showing up every single day ready to learn, work hard, and give it your best. We’re proud of the effort you’ve put in and can’t wait to see you back next week with more stories, more experience, and (hopefully) a little more confidence. 💪🏼

No pictures this week… unless y’all want to see how cute my dogs are 🐶 or the daily outfit photos my daughter insists I send her. 🙃 That’s all I’ve got this week, friends! See you next week!

07/14/2026

🚑 EMT Week 1: Survived. Barely. 😅

One week down, we’re moving into Week 2 and are almost halfway done! (Five-week accelerated classes have a way of making time “fly”… and brains melt.)🫠

Our recruits are officially one step closer to freedom.

Yesterday they all became CPR certified (or recertified), so that’s one more box checked on the journey to those three little letters behind their name. ✅

They’re working hard… really hard. 💪🏼

Multiple times a day, I watch them shuffle past my office with the same thousand-yard stare. Some stop to chat. Others just keep walking like they’re trying to remember what day it is. A few look completely lost and mildly terrified.😬

Maybe they’re overwhelmed…

Or maybe they’re just trying to figure out if I’m actually mean or if that’s just my face. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Either way, we’re all thriving over here. No worries. 🤪

The good news? Only 3 more sleeps until they get to escape the academy for a week of ride time. Before you get too excited, let’s manage expectations… they’ll technically be “home,” but they’ll be putting in long days on the ambulance. So don’t expect them to be lounging on the couch binge-watching Netflix or reorganizing the garage. Sorry, families… I’m just the messenger. 😉

And before anyone asks… yes, those are photos of them loading hose onto the fire trucks. No, that’s not part of EMT class. They volunteered to help our instructors during a break and get a few extra reps in while they were at it. Around here, apparently “break” is just another word for “find more work to do.” We love to see that kind of initiative!

We’re incredibly proud of how hard they’re working and the effort they’re puting in every single day. 🥰

Keep it up, future EMTs! You’re doing great… despite what my face may have led you to believe. 💙🚑

07/09/2026

🚒 We are officially back in the swing of things at the Fire Academy of Kentucky… and the chaos…I mean, organized educational excellence, has resumed.

Monday we welcomed 31 recruits from Classes 006, 007, 008, and our upcoming Class 009 for our 5-week Accelerated EMT course.

I’m happy to report that everyone arrived bright-eyed, bushy-tailed… and, as far as we know, nobody got lost. Or if they did, they’re keeping that information to themselves, and honestly, I respect the commitment. Probably because of the super informative novel (email) I sent them prior to their arrival. 💁🏻‍♀️

Over the next five weeks, these recruits are in for an intense ride. They’ll spend the first two weeks here at the academy diving into classroom instruction and hands-on skills before heading back to their departments for a week of field internship. Then they’ll return for two more weeks of learning, practical scenarios, and enough information to make their brains feel like scrambled eggs.

This class truly takes a village. We have instructors from all over with all hands on deck, giving up their time to invest in these recruits and the future of the fire service. We are incredibly grateful for each of them. They don’t do it for the recognition. They do it because they care, and we simply couldn’t do this without them. ❤️

Now let’s address the real emergency…

It may be 97 degrees outside, but apparently our classroom thermostat is set somewhere between Antarctica and “meat locker.”

A couple of recruits have already borrowed my sweatshirts because someone (not naming names… but definitely them) didn’t believe me when I said to bring a hoodie. (Miiiiight have accidentally left that part off the novel) One recruit is currently rocking my turquoise and pink Tessie Doodle sweatshirt, and I have to admit… he wears it with confidence. 😂

Tomorrow I’m taking the girliest sweatshirts I own. Bright pink. Glitter. Maybe a little bedazzle. Raccoons. Anything goes. 🦝 I have a funny feeling everyone will suddenly remember to pack their own warm-weather gear when they come back Monday. Funny how that works. Frostbite is not an approved EMT skill station. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So far, they’re adjusting well, working hard, and we’ve already met some outstanding new recruits.

And of course, it’s good to see some familiar faces… our repeat offenders…I mean, returning guests. We promise we like having you back. Mostly.

Here’s to five weeks of learning, caffeine, skill stations, questionable cafeteria treats, and reminding everyone that hypothermia is, in fact, possible in July if you’re sitting in our classroom. 🥶

And before anyone asks… yes, we know the waiting list for Class 009 is ridiculously long. I’d like to think it’s because of our incredible instructors, top-notch training, and amazing recruits.

…But it’s probably because of these Facebook posts. Everybody wants to be part of the chaos.

I mean… the fun. 😉🚑🔥

06/09/2026

The Kentucky Fire Commission is now accepting applications for the position of Training Specialist. This job will be located in Greenville at The Fire Academy of Kentucky. Position details are outlined in the link below:

https://careers.kctcs.edu/jobs/training-specialist-the-fire-academy-of-kentucky-academic-support-specialist-iv-greenville-ky-kentucky-united-states

Applications will be accepted through June 24, 2026.

Questions regarding this position should be directed to [email protected].

05/18/2026

As promised… my last and final Class 008 post (y’all can exhale now 😆).

I truly don’t have the right words for how much I’m going to miss this group, but if I had to try: hilarious, genuine, and the kind of people you just want to be around. They kept us laughing, but more importantly, they showed up for each other in every way that matters. The kind of bond they built? You don’t teach that—it just happens when the right group comes together. And they did exactly that.

They had each other’s backs through it all, and I have zero doubt those friendships are the real deal…the kind that last way past these 13 weeks. And let’s be clear… they didn’t just bond, they worked. They’re leaving here with solid training and skills that are going to make their departments proud. If I were y’all back home, I’d be feeling pretty good about who’s coming back through those doors.

Now let’s talk about the real MVPs for a second: families. Moms, dads, wives, fiancés, girlfriends… all of you. Go ahead and give yourselves a little pat on the back (or a big one, honestly). This didn’t happen without you. The sacrifices, the long days, the holding it all together at home so they could be here and focused—you played a huge part in this success. And to my fellow mommas who held down the fort while dad was off becoming a firefighter… I see you, and you deserve more than just a shoutout, but it’s a start 💪🏼

To our instructors across the Commonwealth, THANK YOU doesn’t even begin to cover it. The time, knowledge, and effort you pour into these recruits does not go unnoticed. We’re lucky to have you as part of The Fire Academy family.

And to Class 008… from my (very opinionated and always-speaking) personal perspective, I’m SO thankful I got to know each of you. You made this experience unforgettable, and I’m rooting for every single one of you as you head back out there.

Go do big things… and try not to forget where you came from 😉 And above all else, BE SAFE!!

We are so proud of you!! 👏🏻 Congratulations!! 🎉

05/17/2026

Class 008 video - compliments of Class 006 recruit Koyln Cruz.