Fire Academy Policies

Registration

Students may register using our online form   or may register by phone at (815) 372-4042. Online registrations are only accepted for Department Pay students. Personal pay students must register by phone and place payment at time of registration.

Students will be registered based on the date the registration request is received. All classes will be filled to the maximum capacity. Any student registering after the class has filled to capacity will be placed on a waiting list. Students on the wait list will be contacted if a position opens. Students will not automatically be moved up from the waiting list without receiving verbal or written confirmation they are still interested in filling the open position. All students that are wait listed will receiving a waiting list to the email address given at time of registration.

Students will be emailed an acceptance letter once they are registered in the class. All students with valid email addresses will receive a confirmation letter no later than two weeks before the class starts.

It is imperative that students provide an accurate email address at time of registration. The Academy regularly sends correspondence about the class, as well as links to course material prior to the start date.

The academy reserves the right to cancel or deny registrations for any reason.

Registration Fees

Personal Payments: All students that are paying out-of-pocket for the class, must register by phone and place payment at time of registration. If you are moved up from a wait list, it is expected that payment will be placed at time of accepting the open position to secure the spot. Under extenuating circumstances, students may make the payment by credit card on the first day of class.

Department Payments:Course fees will be billed to your department after the first day of the course. Purchase orders will only be accepted in advance before the class begins.

Instructors will pass out a registration form. Students shall mark whether they paid personally, or whether the department is to be invoiced.

Sponsoring agencies are responsible for all applicable course fees. In the event of a dispute between the student and the agency as to who is responsible for paying, the Academy will default to invoicing the Department. It will be the responsibility of the sponsoring department to settle the unpaid balance with the student. 

For Department payments that are not received within 90 days, the Academy may withhold any future registrations for the Department until invoices are settled. The Academy may also elect to force a Department’s students to pay at time of registration regardless of the student stating the course is to be department invoiced.

Student’s using an alternative means of paying for the course shall consult Academy staff on how to proceed. The Academy accepts I-Chiefs scholarships as well as the Montgomery G.I Bill for VA Education Benefits. The student will not be responsible for paying in advance, as the Academy will invoice each of those entities directly.

Pre-Requisites

Students and Sponsoring departments are responsible for ensuring that a student meets the minimum pre-requisites for all courses prior to registration. The Academy will assume a student meets the pre-requisites when a registration is submitted. 

Attendance Policy

Students are responsible for attending all classroom or practical sessions to be issued a completion certificate. After a course has started and when unforeseen absences occur, students may make arrangements with the Lead Instructor to make-up the missed material. The ability to accommodate make-up material depends on the total time that the student will miss. A decision will be reached between the Lead Instructor and the Student. Some programs may have more specific attendance policies and their course handbook shall define the attendance policy (BOF & EMT). 

Students must cancel their registration a minimum of 72 hours in advance to prevent the sponsoring agency from being invoiced. Acceptable methods of cancellation include emailing the Academy Administrative Assistant, as well as leaving a voicemail on the Academy Phone. If a student cancels due to illness, injury or other unforeseen circumstance; they shall also submit a written letter from their Department’s Chief Officer or Training Officer reiterating the missed attendance. Failure to provide documentation from a Department designee may result in being invoiced the full amount of the course.

If a student is injured during a course and cannot complete it, a decision will be made between the Sponsoring Agency as well as Academy Administration on the best course of action. Academy Administration may review the potential to waive an invoice depending on the circumstances of the injury. 

For students that have pre-paid out of pocket, refunds will only be issued if a student cancels within 72 hours before the class start. Students that are a “no-call no-show” will not be refunded. 

Sponsoring departments will be invoiced for all no-call no-shows.

Course Cancellation

Any courses that are cancelled by the Academy due to low enrollment or unforeseen circumstances will not result in Department invoicing. Any students that paid out-of-pocket will be refunded.

Any request to waive a cancellation fee shall be submitted to the Academy Director in writing. A decision will be made based upon the facts of the cancellation. 

Refunds

For BOF & EMT students that drop out before the course is finished, they will be issued any applicable refunds per the BOF or EMT handbook. Any students that willing drops out of a class after it starts may be invoiced the full amount of the course. 

Sponsoring departments that have paid by PO or in advance that withdraw their student before the start of class, may request a refund or tuition credit to remain on file.  

Testing Accommodations & ADA

It is the policy of the Romeoville Fire Academy (RFA) to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All requests for accommodations shall be received in writing to Academy Administration in advance of the start of the course. Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) exam accommodations shall be handled directly with OSFM. RFA cannot administer OSFM exams with accommodations in place. All internal RFA knowledge check exams may be handled with accommodations between the student and the course Lead Instructor. For BOF & EMT: refer to the course handbook. Any Individualized Education Plans (IEP) will need to be kept on file and submitted to the Academy before the start of any class.

Student & Sponsoring Department Responsibilities

Students in general, as well as Sponsoring Departments shall be responsible for ensuring students attend with the proper personal protective equipment when applicable. Students are responsible for ensuring a safe training and learning environment, as well as fellow students. Students shall seek clarification from instructors whenever they are unsure or unclear about a specific skill, strategy, or performance related task. Students shall not be required to complete any skill they do not fully understand or if they have a concern for safety. All students and instructors have the authority and empowerment to stop any skill or evolution that does not appear safe. An evaluation shall occur between the Lead Instructor and Staff Instructors before activities commence.