How Hard Is the Fire Academy? 2026: Dallas 28 Weeks
Dallas academy is 28 weeks. TEEX is 12 weeks, 545 hours. Houston non-certified about 9 months. Dallas uses CPAT; Denton and Houston do not.
- Author
- Ready to Serve Editorial
- Updated
- August 22, 2026
- Length
- 6 min read
- fire academy
- Dallas
- TEEX
- Houston
- CPAT
- TCFP
- Texas
How Hard Is the Fire Academy? 2026: Dallas 28 Weeks
Hardness is a named clock and a named physical. Dallas Fire-Rescue's trainee academy is 28 weeks. TEEX's face-to-face recruit academy is 12 weeks and 545 hours at Brayton. Houston's non-certified academy is about 9 months. Print the page for the academy you will actually sit.
This page does not print a washout percentage. Departments do not publish one statewide rate.
Last verified: 2026-08-22.
How Long Is Fire Academy?
The named academy clocks:
| Academy | Clock | Document |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Fire-Rescue trainee | 28 weeks: 468 TCFP hours plus 500 DFR hours, 5 weeks EMT, then 5 months paramedic school and 6 months probation | Fire-Rescue Officer Trainee |
| TEEX face-to-face recruit | 12 weeks, 545 hours at Brayton | TEEX recruit academy |
| TEEX blended | 16 weeks | Same TEEX program page |
| Houston Fire non-certified | About 9 months, EMT in the building. The city's overall academy disclaimer is 7 to 9 months. Certified track about 3 months. | HFD requirements |
| San Antonio Fire cadet | 940-hour / 25-week fire plus 200-hour EMT, about 5.5 months | SAFD cadet |
| FDNY recruit | 18 weeks | JoinFDNY Step 5 |
A 12-week TEEX block and a 28-week Dallas academy are both real. They are not the same job. Daily academy life: Fire Academy: What to Expect. How to pick a Texas program: fire academy guide.
What Physical Test Do You Have to Pass?
CPAT is one licensed pre-hire test: eight events, a 50-pound vest, 10 minutes 20 seconds, pass or fail. Fail one event and you fail the test (IAFF/IAFC CPAT Orientation Guide). Dallas Fire-Rescue uses it (DFR CPAT).
Denton Fire runs its own department PAT (City of Denton Fire and Emergency Careers FAQ). Houston Fire uses a Physical Ability Test Packet (HFD requirements). Train the sheet on the notice you will sit.
Academy PT is a later daily load. This page does not print a folklore mile time or a turnout-gear weight as an NFPA figure. Ask that academy for its fitness packet. Spec: What Is the CPAT?. City-by-city tests: CPAT vs firefighter physical ability tests. A 12-week block: how to train for the CPAT.
What Is the Academic Load Like?
Texas Basic Structure Fire Suppression is a TCFP certificate. TCFP will not issue it until you document medical training equal to EMR, ECA, EMT, or paramedic, finish a commission-approved fire program, and pass the structure exam (TCFP Basic). Dallas's 28-week academy includes 468 TCFP hours. TEEX's recruit academy is 545 hours.
This page does not print a near-universal written passing score. Ask the academy that will grade you. Study the material they assign.
If you are paying for one class this semester, take EMT first. In 2020, fire departments reported 26,959,000 runs to NFIRS; 64 percent were EMS and rescue, and 4 percent were fire (USFA Topical Fire Report Series Vol. 22 Issue 1). Path: Fire Academy vs EMT School First.
How Do You Prepare Before Day One?
- Open the city's own academy and physical-test page. Dallas, Denton, and Houston are three different doors. Dallas: how to become a firefighter in Dallas. Houston: how to become a firefighter in Houston. Denton: how to become a firefighter in Denton.
- Get the medical card TCFP will require for Basic. EMT first is the cheaper test of whether you can sit a medical exam.
- Arrive able to pass the physical that city actually runs. Fitness work: firefighter physical fitness training plan.
- Map the rest of the Texas path on the fire pathway and the Texas firefighter pillar.
Sources
- Dallas Fire-Rescue, Fire-Rescue Officer Trainee. 28-week academy: 468 TCFP hours, 500 DFR hours, 5 weeks EMT, 5 months paramedic school, 6 months probation. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
- Dallas Fire-Rescue, recruiting CPAT. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
- TEEX, Firefighter Recruit Academy. Face-to-face 12 weeks / 545 hours at Brayton; blended 16 weeks. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
- City of Houston, HFD requirements. Non-certified about 9 months; certified about 3 months; academy disclaimer 7 to 9 months; Physical Ability Test Packet. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- San Antonio Fire Department, cadet. 940-hour / 25-week fire plus 200-hour EMT. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- JoinFDNY Step 5. FDNY recruit academy 18 weeks.
- Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Basic Structure Fire Suppression. Medical-training list: EMR, ECA, EMT, or paramedic. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- IAFF/IAFC CPAT Orientation Guide. Eight events, 50-pound vest, 10:20, fail one event fails the test.
- City of Denton, Fire and Emergency Careers FAQ. Department PAT. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- USFA Topical Fire Report Series Vol. 22 Issue 1, June 2022. 2020 NFIRS: 26,959,000 runs; 64 percent EMS/rescue; 4 percent fire.
Related Articles
Ready to start your Fire Service career?
Create a free account and get a personalized path: guidance, progress tracking, and a readiness profile that stands out to agencies.