Forsyth County Fire Department opens Junior Fire Academy applications

Forsyth County Fire Department is taking applications for a free Junior Fire Academy that gives middle school students hands-on exposure to firefighting, search-and-rescue practices and EMS work, with limited spots and a May 8 deadline that makes it more selective than a typical summer camp.

The 2026 academy is set for Monday, June 15 through Thursday, June 18, and runs each day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Fire Department Headquarters inside the Forsyth County Public Safety Complex, 3520 Settingdown Road in Cumming. Campers must be picked up by 4 p.m., and the county says the program is open to students entering seventh and eighth grade this fall.

Forsyth County describes the academy as a week-long daytime program designed to show students what it takes to be a firefighter. The curriculum goes beyond demonstrations and into the daily discipline of public safety work, with instruction tied to firefighting, emergency medical services and search-and-rescue basics. That structure gives the program a larger purpose than recreation alone: it introduces young people to a public-service career path while teaching teamwork and leadership.

Fire Chief Barry Head has framed the academy as a place where students are challenged while learning hard work and responsibility. Head has led the department since 2019, when county records say he was sworn in as Forsyth County’s fourth fire chief after serving as interim chief beginning in October 2018. His background gives the academy added weight as a recruitment and civic-engagement tool for a department that depends on public trust and a steady pipeline of future talent.

The county says the Junior Fire Academy is offered each summer through the fire department’s Community Risk Reduction work, part of a broader effort to teach prevention, preparedness and response. County materials also note that returning students who have attended a previous camp can apply to become an officer for the academy, adding a leadership track for repeat participants.

That matters in Forsyth County, where families often look for structured summer programs that are both affordable and meaningful. The academy is free, but the county’s limited-capacity model means parents cannot assume a spot will be available if they wait. Applications are due Friday, May 8, and the short timeline puts the decision squarely in the hands of families who want their children to see how local emergency response works from the inside.