2008 Woodie Awards
Fee increase hits fire academy students hardest
By Kristina Lindberg and Rennie Murrell
Last update: 5/17/06 at 8:20 AM CST
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A tuition and fee increase approved by the board March 23 will hit fire academy students hardest with a newly introduced $530 fee.
The students enrolled in FIRS 1433, Fire Fighter Certification 7, will have to pay this fee once.
"I think it's going to be an inconvenience to students until they adjust," J.D. Richardson, protective services chair, said.
The Alamo Community College District board of trustees approved a districtwide 5 percent tuition and fee increase as well as the $530 fee for fire academy students, during its regular March board meeting.
The reason for the newly introduced fee is the department's need to repair gear and purchase new equipment, Richardson said.
The fee will be used for the purchase and repair of bunker gear, a 3-layered Nomax fabric coat and pants, and the self-contained breathing apparatus, Richardson said.
The funding for the purchase, cleansing and maintenance of this equipment had previously been provided by a Carl Perkins Grant, he added.
Because grant money is slowly drying up, the fee will have to be introduced, Richardson said.
"We are the only program in the district that puts students in harm's way," Richardson said, adding that it is federally mandated for equipment to be up to standards.
Richardson said the program has an excellent safety record, and at this college, there has not been a serious injury of any student in 30 years.
The repair and cost of gear have increased over the years, Richardson said.
According to a memo from President Robert Zeigler, the price for a set of bunker gear has increased 25 percent over four years.
"The bunker gear must be inspected, cleaned and repaired after each fire academy class," the memo said. "The average cost for this process varies from $100 to $200 per set of bunker gear."
Most bunker gear fails to meet the National Fire Protection Association requirements after three to four semesters. The academy has 52 sets of bunker gear; a set costs $800.
Richardson said about 40 students are enrolled in the two academy classes this semester.
Next semester, the department would like to offer a third class but a lack of facilities and budget cuts limits the program, Richardson said.
The department has a waiting list for students who want to get into the academy, he added.
This college has a contract with a facility in Louisiana to do inspection, cleaning and evaluation of the safety equipment as set forth in national requirements, fire science Instructor Eddie Bramhall said.
It would not be financially feasible to have qualified and certified inspectors or mechanics to fulfill the requirements set by the National Fire Protection Association and Environmental Protection Agency, he added.
Fire science Instructor Bob Scott said the increased fee probably will affect students but added that other costs, like fuel, also go up.
"Where there's a will, there's a way," Scott said.
Fire academy student Margo Murillo said she has already paid tuition of $1,668 for the 27-semester hour program. She said the new fee probably won't affect enrollment figures.
"This profession is something you want to do," she said. "You don't take it lightly."
Frank Bailey, who is a former fire academy student, said if people wanted it to get into the academy, they will pay the fee.
"I don't think it's going to have people not go," Bailey said, adding that new equipment for the academy will be necessary.
Students at the fire academy at Austin Community College pay normal college tuition, but purchase their own books and buy or lease their protective gear. To lease the gear costs about $200. Fees depend on students' needs because they might want to buy or lease equipment or lease dorm rooms, Diana Sanchez, technical office assistant at Austin Community College, said.
Rufus Summers, associate chair of protective services at Houston Community College, said his department is working on a proposal to introduce a fee for students attending the fire academy.
If the proposal is approved, Houston students might have to pay a $350 fee to rent gear and a $200 refundable deposit.
A fee for cleaning the gear will be taken out of the deposit.
"We had been thinking about this for a long time," Summers said.
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