Our department's Safety Officer/County EMC is teaming with PERS, Sweetwater Creek Firefighter Assn, and the PFFMA to create a Regional Volunteer Fire Academy in the Panhandle. It will be divided in to 6 different areas with resources, instructors and classes in all 6 areas. The initial goal we be to get all firefighters at least to their Introductory Certification through the SFFMA and continuing on to the SFFMA Basic level in the first calender year. We all feel the need for training is paramount in importance and this will provide training and certification to all Panhandle Firefighters, leaving no one behind. The cost will be minumal (100-$125) and reimbursable through TFS and hb2604. The shorter traveling distances and minumal cost should be able to reach smaller volunteer fd's that dont have the resources or budget to provide training to their firefighters. This Academy IS going to happen, there is an AFG being written and Amarillo Area Foundation has pledged the matching funds. Basically all we're looking for at this point is pledges of participation from Pnahandle FDs