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Despite delays, fire academy still moving By LEAH FILLION ACC school plans to relocate to Austin before start of August classes Plans to relocate Austin Community College Fire Academy to Austin are still in the works despite several years of delays and a location change, Taylor Fire Academy director Ken Goodenow said. “Right now we are working with the facilities department to get permits, that is the driving factor... and we have been waiting on the contract with the City of Austin,” Goodenow said. Previously, the academy was set to move to Pflugerville and plans were all but finalized two years ago. Goodenow said he is unsure why they opted to switch the location to Austin but said logistically the move makes sense. The academy currently buses students and equipment back and forth between Austin and Taylor, which gets expensive and consumes a lot of time, he said. In addition, the Austin facility will have more modern amenities. Also, the dorms in Taylor for the fire academy are the only dorms ACC maintains and moving to Austin will eliminate that need. Goodenow said February is the “drop-dead” date for finalizing contracts and prepping buildings to be ready to move. If everything goes smoothly, the facility should be in Austin be the start of the next semester in August. The academy, which began in 1989 as a partnership between the Taylor Fire Department and ACC, teaches a 608-hour certificate program. In a previous interview, Mike Midgley, ACC vice president of workforce education and business, said moving out of Taylor was based simply on future needs and the legislated service areas of ACC, not because of dissatisfaction with Taylor. Residents in Taylor are not included in the ACC taxing and service district and spending funds in Taylor to upgrade and repair the facility makes Midgley “hesitant,” he said previously. Anita Jones, Taylor Fire Department administrative assistant, said in a previous interview the academy's move from Taylor to Austin will not have a significant impact on the department. “... Cadets don't graduate from the school and come straight to us,” she said. “They have to go through the same process as anyone else and apply for a position with our department if they want to work in Taylor after they graduate.” However, Goodenow said local businesses have expressed their disappointment to him that the facility is moving. “Having the cadets in Taylor does have an impact on local business, I think. They live here and do all of their shopping here,” he said.
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