Raleigh Fire Department History - Recruit Academies

 

Last updated April 4, 2024

 

Compiled by Mike Legeros

 

Note: The academy numbering system was adopted in the late 2000s, based on historical research by Legeros. The first 1978 class was adopted as Academy #1. Before that time, prior classes and clustered training for new hires dated to at least 1971, as subsequent research uncovered.

 

#	Year	Start	Weeks	Graduation	Ceremony	Started	Grads	Notes
52	2024	Feb 12, 2024	8	Apr 4, 2024	Pullen Park Community Building	10	7	Short academy.
51	2023	Mar 27, 2023	32	Nov 2, 2023	Union Station	31	24
50	2023	Mar 27, 2023	12	June 14, 2022	City Council Chambers	8	7	Short academy.
49	2022	Sep 26, 2022	4	Oct 21, 2022	Keeter Training Center	28	25	First lateral academy.
48	2022	Apr 23, 2022	30	Dec 28, 2022	Raleigh Convention Center	56	49
47	2021	Apr 26, 2021	30	Nov 16, 2021	Duke Energy Center, Fletcher Opera Theater	22	20
46	2021	Apr 26, 2021	10	Jul 2, 2021	Keeter Training Center	16	16	First short academy since 2004
45	2020	Jul 6, 2020	27	Jan 6, 2021	Keeter Training Center	30	27
44	2019	Apr 29, 2019	32	Dec 5, 2019	Raleigh Convention Center	19	19
43	2018	Apr 30, 2018	32	Dec 5, 2018	Meymandi Concert Hall, Duke Energy Center	30	27
42	2017	Feb 20, 2017	32	Sep 27, 2017	Duke Energy Center, Fletcher Opera Theater	40	36
41	2016	Jan. 25, 2016	29	Aug 18, 2016	Duke Energy Center, Fletcher Opera Theater	39	37
40	2014	Oct 24, 2014	28	May 14, 2015	Duke Energy Center, Fletcher Opera Theater	38		Sta 29 opened and ninth ladder company activated, Jun 9, 2015.
39	2014	Mar 24, 2014	28	Sep 25, 2014	Duke Energy Center, Fletcher Opera Theater	34	30
38	2013	Jan 31, 2013	27	Aug 9, 2013	Duke Energy Center, Meymandi Concert Hall	27	26
37	2012	Dec 30, 2011	30	Jul. 13, 2012	Progress Energy Center – Mymandi Concert Hall	29	28
	2011	No academy this year
36	2010	May 26, 2010	30	Dec 17, 2010	Raleigh Convention Center, Exhibit Hall C	25	24
	2009	No academy this year
35	2008	Sep 30, 2008	28	Apr 17, 2009	Convention Center - Exhibit Hall C	29	27	Eighth ladder company activated, Jan 6, 2009.
34	2008	Jan 7, 2008	28	Jul 14, 2008	BTI Center - Fletcher Hall	24	24
	2007	No academy this year
33	2006	Sep 18, 2006	27	Mar 12, 2007	BTI Center - Fletcher Hall	32	32	Sta 28 opened Apr 2007.
32	2005	Feb 7, 2005	27	Aug 8, 2005	BTI Center - Fletcher Hall	24	24	Seventh ladder company activated, Aug 6, 2005.
31	2004 #2	Apr 5, 2004	24	Sep 27, 2004	BTI Center - Main Auditorium	18	18
30	2004 #1	Jan 5, 2004	9	Mar 5, 2004	Council Chambers	13	13	Sixth ladder company activated, Apr 6, 2004.
	2003	No academy this year
29	2002 #2	Oct 7, 2002	26	Apr 7, 2003	BTI Center - Fletcher Hall	28	28	Sta 26 opened Jun 9, 2003. Sta 27 opened Jun 9, 2003.
28	2002 #1	Oct 7, 2002	11	Dec 30, 2002	Council Chambers	10	10
27	2001	Sep 10, 2001	10	Nov 14, 2001	Council Chambers	15	15
26	2000 #3	Nov 6, 2000	27	May 7, 2001	Civic Center – Hall 1	29	28	Sta 24 opened Aug 24, 2001. Sta 25 opened Aug 2, 2001.
25	2000 #2	Nov 6, 2000	10	Jan 5, 2001	Council Chambers	15	15
24	2000 #1	Mar 27, 2000	10	Jun 2, 2000	Council Chambers	10	10	Sta 23 opened Feb 15, 2000.
23	1999	Jun 7, 1999	26	Dec 3, 1999	New Hope Baptist Church	39	36
22	1998	Aug 17, 1998	7	Oct 2, 1998	Council Chambers	21	20
21	1997 #2	Oct 27, 1997	24	May 1, 1998	St. Mary's College – Pittman Auditorium	35	35	Sta 21 opened June 15, 1998. Sta 22 opened July 31, 1998.
20	1997 #1	Jan 6, 1997	25	Jun 27, 1997	Council Chambers	18?	18
19	1996	Jan 8, 1996	20	May 24, 1996	Civic Center – Room D	33	33
	1995	No academy this year
18	1994	May 31, 1994	25	Nov 23, 1994	Council Chambers	24	23	Includes 2 Wake FF.
17	1993	Feb 8, 1993	26	Jul 30, 1993	Council Chambers	30	27	Includes 1 Wake FF and 4 Wilson FF.
16	1992	Feb 24, 1992	26	Aug 21?, 1992	Council Chambers	19	17	Includes 10 Wake FF and 2 Wilson FF.
15	1991	Feb 13, 1991	26	Aug 30, 1991	Council Chambers	25	25
14	1990	Feb 14, 1990	20	Jun 30, 1990	Council Chambers	18	17	Hired for 19. One did not show.
13	1989	Feb 15, 1989	14	May 26 1989	Council Chambers	19	19	Sta 20 opened Jan 20, 1989. Fifth ladder company activated, 1989.
12	1988	Feb 3, 1988	18	Jun 1988	Council Chambers	19	19	Sta 19 opened May 11, 1988.
	1987	No academy this year
11	1986	Oct 1, 1986	16	Feb 6, 1987	Council Chambers	25	25	Sta 18 opened Mar 16, 1987. Hired for 27. Two did not show.
10	1985	Jul 29, 1985	25	Feb 15?, 1986	Council Chambers	17	16	Fourth aerial ladder company activated, 1986. First recruits required to maintain EMT certification after graduation.
	1984	No academy this year
9	1983	Dec 14, 1983	16	May 10, 1984	Station 17	28	27	Cadets assigned to stations 2 weeks before graduation. Sta 17 opened Apr 9, 1984.
8	1982 #2	Nov 22, 1982	14	Mar 4, 1983	Council Chambers	14	13
7	1982 #1	Mar 15, 1982	18	Jul 15, 1982	Council Chambers	17	17	Classes conducted at Sta 2, then at newly completed Keeter Training Center.
6	1981	Apr 6, 1981	14	Jul 17, 1981	Council Chambers	21	20	Classes conducted at Sta 2. Third aerial ladder company activated, Sep 16, 1981.
5	1980	May 5, 1980	14	Aug 15, 1980	Council Chambers	20	19	Classes conducted at Sta 2.
4	1979	Mar 12, 1979	16	Jun 29, 1979	Council Chambers	10	10
3	1978 #3	Sep 18, 1978	12	Dec 8, 1978	Council Chambers	26	25	Sta 16 opened Feb 9, 1979.
2	1978 #2	Jul 10, 1978	10	Sep 21, 1978	Council Chambers	12	12	First female firefighters.
1	1978 #1	Feb 1, 1978	10	Apr 11, 1978	?	8	7	First academy; first group to receive diplomas; second group to receive EMT after program started in 1977.
n/a	1977	Apr 4, 1977	11	?	?	8	8	First class that required EMT cert. to graduate. Also, the label “academy” was not used at the time.
n/a	1976	Nov 1, 1976	?	?	?	8?	8?
n/a	1974	Jun 5, 1974	12?	none	none	30	30?	Remembered as first class with 30 people and having no graduation ceremony.
n/a	1973	Sep 4, 1973	4?	?	?	8	7
n/a	1972	Sep 18, 1972	7	?	?	7	7
n/a	1971	Sep 1971	?	?	?	15?	15?
n/a	1971	Feb 1971	?	?	?	15?	15?