Opening in 1980, the St. Louis County Fire Academy began training and certifying firefighters for the 43 different fire departments and fire protection districts in St. Louis County. To work at any of these 43 fire service agencies, you must be certified through us.
There are two ways to go through the academy. The first is to be hired as a full-time, paid firefighter by a fire service district in St. Louis County. The other way is to go through the Academy as a self-sponsored student.
Chief Instructor / Recruitment Coordinator
Central County Fire-Rescue
Mobile: 314-713-6445
Assistant Chief Instructor
Clayton Fire Department
JCounts@stlcofireacademy.com
Administrative Assistant
bettys@stlcofireacademy.com
The Greater St. Louis County Fire Academy is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational corporation, that contracts with the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission to provide firefighter training for St. Louis County. The St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission maintains the waiting list, determines when applications are released, and sets the minimum standards. For admissions information, please go to the Application Process page on this website.
We currently hold three (3) classes a year with 32 students in each class. Each class is a combination of New Hires from St. Louis County fire agencies and Self-Sponsored students. If we have 10 New Hires needing to be rostered for a class, the balance of the seats, 22, would be filled with Self-Sponsored students.
Classes are held Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm with a few exceptions.
Each class runs 14.5 weeks in length.
Tuition is currently $4,635.00 per recruit ($4,500.00 tuition; $70.00 book; $65.00 PE clothes). However, there is no guarantee this rate will be in effect at the time you would attend a class.
Tuition is always due, in full, three (3) weeks before the first day of class. The Academy does not offer any type of payment plan. After class commences, there is NO refund of tuition if a recruit fails to complete the training program for any reason including excessive absences due to illness or injury, personal reasons, or is dismissed by the Academy for good cause shown. If a recruit repeats a class for any reason, the full tuition is applicable at that time.
Payment may be made with a credit/debit card (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express) or cashier’s check. Card payments can be made over the phone. Personal checks and cash are NOT accepted. Please call in advance to ensure someone is in the office to accept your payment.
A 3% service fee is charged for all credit card payments. There is no fee if you use a Debit/Check card.
The St. Louis County Fire Academy has a Scholarship and Education Fund available for eligible applicants. Please call Betty Stoecklin at 314-889-8670 for further information.
The Fire Academy has been approved for G.I. Bill® benefits effective July 7, 2013. To apply for benefits, please go to GIBill.va.gov. Once your application is approved, you will receive an Award Letter. This letter must be turned in to the Academy so that we can submit the necessary paperwork. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Betty Stoecklin at 314-889-8670. To determine eligibility for VA payments, call 888-442-4551.
We began utilizing the new Training/Burn Tower in March 2017 during the 100th Recruit Class Structure Burns. We would like to thank Phil Lopez for his tireless work, Kim Besserman for his support and work with St. Louis County, Jim Usry for his assistance, Kurt Becker and the Fire Academy Board of Directors for their…
