Teen Summer Fire Academy (TSFA)

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

In June of 2014, the Henrico County Division of Fire (DOF), in coordination with Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS), conducted the first annual Teen Summer Fire Academy (TSFA). The TSFA is designed to offer a chance for the area’s rising high-school freshmen to experience the culture of the Henrico County Fire Department. The TSFA is operated similar to a DOF recruit academy, even including the issuing of a full set of structural firefighting personal protective equipment. Instruction places an emphasis on teamwork, fire suppression skills, core values, understanding the mission of the Henrico County Division of Fire, physical fitness, and socialization through meals and team-building opportunities. The students were pushed outside of their existing comfort zones and ultimately eleven graduated at the end of the program.