Ruscoe points out that the academy provides much more in-depth instruction and hands-on training than a volunteer firefighter would normally receive. Typically, a volunteer firefighter is required to complete 36 hours of training, while Ruscoe's Fire Academy totals 340 hours of classroom and practical hands-on instruction.

The students participate in training exercises that are meant to encompass a wide range of situations a firefighter may face on any given day. Examples of this training includes fire prevention and fire control, extracting an injured person from a vehicle, hazardous materials and wildland firefighting, as well as fire department management and organization.

Ruscoe stresses that the academy must cover a wide range of scenarios, because each response call brings a different experience.

"Every situation is unique in itself and every situation poses a threat and a danger," Ruscoe said.

Lane is already planning an expanded curriculum for next year's academy, which he stated will also be held in the January through June time frame. He hopes to add more certified firefighters to the team of instructors and offer more hands-on activities. He stated that the current class offers approximately half on its instructions in the field, with the students involved in real-life scenarios.

"Hopefully, I'll have some more instructors so I'll have differenct levels of experience doing the training," Lane said.