Top 10 Video Countdown - #1 - The Academy - Orange County Fire Authority

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The Fox Reality Channel brings firefighters an exciting new reality series beginning October 24th.  "The Academy:Orange County Fire" follows firefighting recruits through the Orange County Fire Authority's rigorous Fire Academy as they fight for a select number of positions in one of the nation's largest fire departments.

This eighteen week series features the Orange County Fire Authority's Academy Class 36, a group of 28 recruits who are working to become firefighters.  Chosen from approximately 2,800 applicants these men are the best of the best, and must undergo rigorous physical and mental training.  Some of those chosen came to the fire academy with prior firefighting experience, while others did not. As with most fire departments, OCFA's Academy experiences a 20% dropout rate, and viewers of the show will be able to watch the recruits' journey both in the classroom and at home.

Captain Mike Contreras, the OCFA Fire Academy Coordinator and one of the stars of the show, explains, "It shows the extreme nature of our job.  It shows the different fire conditions, so I think from that standpoint, we will be able to show the public some of the physical, mental demands of our jobs."

The show not only documents the live fire and classroom training that the recruits must undergo, but it also tells the stories of their families and what they experience.  Contreras says, "Anybody who's in the fire service knows that when we're in the fire station, our wives, our loved ones, they are there to support us at home and make sure our home is taken care of."  The series shows some of the joys, sorrows, and sacrifices involved in being a part of a fire service family.

Fox Reality's production crews were required to undergo all of the same physical and classroom training as the recruits.  They also were put through all of the live fire training as well.  In order to be a part of the taping of the show, they had to meet the same requirements as the cadets.  Contreras explains, "They had to don their SCBA in 60 seconds.  That's a requirement that we have of our recruits, so the camera crew had to do that."  Special protections were need for the camera and sound equipment used to tape this show, and according to Captain Contreras, a few of their cameras were melted during the filming due to the intensity of the environment.

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Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com