About Us

"I was very grateful for the RCA experience. It showed me things about myself I don’t think I would have learned anywhere else. In the end it turned out to be one of the most motivating and better experiences of my life."

Recruit Scott Hall, Class 75

The Recruit Candidate Academy (RCA) at Utah Valley University is a "quasi-military" firefighter academy designed to prepare future firefighters for a career in the fire service. The RCA comprises approximately 350 hours of fireground training, plus an additional 300 hours of college-level pre-requisite course work. Prospective students are registered through Utah Valley University and enroll in 16 credits of instruction for the academic semester.

The RCA at Utah Valley University is proud to be fully accredited through the Utah Fire Service Standards and Training Council and the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy in accordance with Utah State code R710-16-6. The RCA at UVU is aligned with the policies and guidelines of the Utah Fire Service Certification Council in all of its testing and certification processes. Required accreditation documents are found here.

History of the RCA

Graduated its first class in April 1998 under the leadership of Gary Noll M.Ed. (USAF Chief, retired).
Since it’s inception more than 88 classes totaling over 2000 recruits have completed the program.
Graduates obtain the following certifications
- Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Hazmat Awareness, Hazmat Operations
- Certifications are Pro-Board and IFSAC accredited
The RCA instructor cadre consists of top fire service professionals in Utah that are typically leaders within their own department.
State of the art facilities make the RCA the best experience possible to prepare for an entry level position in the Emergency Services.