The City of Coral Springs is located on Floridas East Coast in Broward County. The Coral Springs Fire Academy is an integral part of the Coral Springs Fire Department. It provides in-service and specialized training programs that are attended by firefighters from throughout the South Florida area, serving the training needs for over 35 different departments in eight counties. The philosophy of the Coral Springs Fire Academy, which falls under the direction of the Training and Public Education Division, is to create both realistic basic and advanced training, basing them on the types of incidents that are ( and can be ) encountered by emergency services members on a daily basis. This training is delivered by a highly qualified staff of part-time instructors, who practice what they teach at their full-time jobs with a variety of South Florida agencies. The entire curriculum is developed and presented in compliance with all local, state, and federal standards. Regional and contemporary needs are addressed as well as incorporating real life experiences and learning. The Academy is fully accredited by the Florida Bureau of Fire Standards and Training, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. All of our instructors are experienced fire/rescue personnel, fully certified by the Bureau of Fire Standards Training and the Florida Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.The State Bureau of Fire Standards and Training certified the Coral Springs Fire Academy in late 1999.The first Academy operated on the grounds of Coral Springs Fire Station 71. The first class was graduated in May 2000, and consisted entirely of volunteer members of the department who were upgrading their skills and certifications. Two classes were graduated in 2001, and we now graduate ten classes of Minimum Standards for Firefighters each year. By student volume and number of classes, the Coral Springs Fire Academy is one of the largest in the State of Florida. Our graduates are employed throughout Florida and several other states.In the fall of 2001, the Coral Springs Fire Academy graduated its first Minimum Standards Class with a 100% pass rate on the State exams. Then, when thought we had done our best, we graduated two more classes with 100% pass rate on the State exams, bringing the total to three. This was a state record for consecutive 100% pass rates on the State administered written and practical exam. That record stood until 2006, when the Academy began a consecutive run of nine 100% pass rate classes. That record still stands today. This could not have been accomplished without the dedication and commitment of our instructors, staff, and the City of Coral Springs management philosophy of "Always Striving for Excellence" . We continue to strive for 100% pass rate from all of our Minimum Standards classes.During 2001 and 2002, the Coral Springs Fire Department was inundated with requests to start an EMT-B program. Many of these requests came from students in our fire academy and other fire academies. Students were waiting up to a year to enter local programs. The Coral Springs Fire Department began the process to become an EMT-B training academy. In April of 2003, the Academy became licensed by the Florida Department of Education Commission for Independent Education and approved by the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. Our first EMT-B class began shortly thereafter. The response was overwhelming, and we expanded from one part-time class to a full time class and a part-time class running concurrently.The purpose of the Emergency Medical Technician " Basic ( EMT-B ) course is to educate, prepare, and provide an opportunity for persons with the desire to or who are already involved in emergency care to become skilled in carrying out emergency measures to save lives and reduce injury. The EMT-B course is based on guidelines set by the United States Department of