Your Fire Career Starts Here

Prepare for a career in the fire service through comprehensive Firefighter I (FFI) and Firefighter II (FFII) training that combines classroom instruction with hands-on, fire-ground experience. Students, ages 18 years or older, will develop essential skills in fire suppression, structural firefighting, hazardous materials, wildland firefighting, traffic incident management, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) use, and other critical emergency response operations. The program includes practical skills training, live-fire exercises, job performance requirements, and written examinations aligned with Arkansas Fire Training Academy (AFTA) standards and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1010. Successful completion of the required coursework and examinations may lead to AFTA, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), and Pro Board certification in Firefighter I and II. The complete FFI & FFII pathway requires a minimum of 360 hours of training and is designed to prepare students to perform safely, confidently, and effectively as professional firefighters. This program is a partnership between the participating fire departments of Independence County and the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB).

Tuition

The Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship will cover 100% of the tuition for eligible students.

Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

• Must be an Arkansas resident for at least 6 months.
• Must be a high school graduate or have received a high school equivalency (GED).

Get Started

To register for this program and secure tuition coverage through the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, follow these steps:

• Apply to the program by clicking "Add to Wait List" at the link above.
• Get a signed Student Sponsorship Letter from your Fire Chief. This process includes completing a physical exam through your fire department.
• Provide a copy of your high school diploma, transcript, or GED to workforce@uaccb.edu.
• Call 870-612-2082 or email to schedule an appointment to complete your Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship application.

Class Schedule and Location

• Dates: October 6, 2026 – April 15, 2027
• Days & Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
• Course Hours: 360
• Location: White River Firefighter Training Center at UACCB 

Prerequisites & Clearances

Prerequisites and clearances required for enrollment must be completed before registering for the Firefighter Rookie School.

Required Before Enrolling in Firefighter Rookie School

• Students must be 18 years of age or older to start the program. 
• Students must be CPR Certified to start the program.
• Physical & Administrative Clearance — Required clearance confirming the student meets the program’s physical and administrative requirements.
• Medical Clearance — A full physical evaluation clearing the student for rigorous physical training and hands-on practical activities.
• Student Sponsorship Letter — A signed letter from the student’s Fire Chief confirming the student’s sponsorship, clearance, and completion of required prerequisites.

Required Certifications

Must Be Completed Prior to Firefighter I Testing

The following certifications must be completed before the student is eligible for Firefighter I testing:

• TIMS — Traffic Incident Management Systems
• ICS-100 — Introduction to the Incident Command System
• ICS-200 — Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response
• IS-700 — National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
• IS-800 — National Response Framework, An Introduction
• Wildland Firefighting

Important: Students should carefully review these requirements and begin completing the required certifications early. The prerequisites & clearances listed above must be completed before registering. The required certifications must be completed prior to Firefighter I testing. 

How to Submit

Once completed, submit your Student Sponsorship Letter using any of these methods:

• In-Person: Bring documents to the Welcome Center. 
• Email: Send documents to workforce@uaccb.edu.
• Phone: Call 870-612-2082 to finalize your enrollment.

Deadline to Register

The deadline to register and have all requirements completed is strictly 2 weeks prior to the course. Deadline is September 22, 2026. 

Act fast — seats are limited!

A minimum of 6 students is required for the class to run. The maximum enrollment is 20 students. 

Take the first step today

• Your career as a certified firefighter starts here!
• Call 870-612-2082
• Email workforce@uaccb.edu
• Visit the Welcome Center on UACCB's campus

Learn the basics of Excel including entering and formatting numbers and text; ranges; copying and moving data; basic formulas; data entry short-cuts like filling in a range, autosum, auto complete and autofill; relative and absolute cell references; searching Help; formatting and printing. 

Testimonial: "Rhonda Williams was a wonderful instructor. She was very knowledgeable and easy to follow. I would take more of her courses in the future." Bailey Morris

Testimonial: "Loved my instructor. She was very knowledgeable and also made class fun!" Magan Rogers

Cancellations: To cancel a class, five (5) business days' notice prior to the course starting date is required to withdraw and receive a refund.

Excel Level 2 covers large workbooks with multiple worksheets; 3D formulas; more advanced formulas for financial; logical and date questions; Excel as a datasheet (database table), including sorting and filtering, charts, comments and hyperlinks.

Testimonial: "The instructor was able to take what would otherwise be a tedious subject and make it interesting. The lecture was hands-on and full of practical application." Billy Stidham

Cancellations: To cancel a class, five (5) business days' notice prior to the course starting date is required to withdraw and receive a refund.

Excel Level 3 covers how to use Excel for a variety of problem-solving tasks. Included are how to use Excel as a database; utilizing conditional formatting, data validation, the Data Table, outlining and subtotaling; Paste Special with calculations; consolidating; programmatic formulas including VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, ISERROR and nested IF statements with AND and OR; and Pivot Tables and Scenarios.

Testimonial: "The instructor was able to take what would otherwise be a tedious subject and make it interesting. The lecture was hands-on and full of practical application." Billy Stidham, Excel Levels 1, 2 and 3

Cancellations: To cancel a class, five (5) business days' notice prior to the course starting date is required to withdraw and receive a refund.

The RN to EMT bridge course is a hybrid self-paced course for healthcare professionals who wish to advance their careers in EMS by working on a ground or air ambulance and taking their knowledge to where the action and treatment first begins. The health care professionals will be allowed to do online course work and then be trained by other health care providers on EMS equipment before being checked off and testing for their national certification and state licensure. Note: The hands-on skills check-off can only be done in the state of Arkansas. Download RN to EMT flyer. 

How you will benefit:

• Fast-Track Certification: This program leverages your existing medical education, allowing you to bypass the 200+ hour traditional course offerings.
• Expanded Clinical Setting: You learn to provide care in uncontrolled environments—such as homes, street corners, or moving vehicles where resources are limited.
• Pre-Hospital Skillset: Training focuses on skills less common in standard nursing, such as scene size-up, extrication, and using specialized emergency equipment.
• Schedule Flexibility: Obtaining EMT certification allows for supplemental income through part-time or flexible shifts on ground ambulances along with advancing your options to air services.
• Autonomy and Decision Making: Pre-hospital care requires working from protocols independently before reaching a hospital, which can sharpen clinical judgment and teach you to work in a limited team setting to accomplish time sensitive goals.
• Career Advancement: You will have the privilege of becoming a large part and a valued member of the emergency response familyand It is a critical step when aiming for Flight Nursing or specialized Critical Care Transport roles.
• National Certification: After completion of the course you will be able to test for your NREMT certification and then be cleared to apply for state licensure.

The class will consist of an online course review over a period of one month of the EMT course at your pace with an online test at the end of each chapter. Then you will have a hands-on training the following week with other health care professionals in the same field. Ride along time will be provided for those who will need it after class or with prior arrangements.

If this is a challenge that you have been wanting to do, contact us and let’s start making a difference together!

Class fees are as follows:

$199.00 UACCB (enrollment fee for online college course)

$250.00 Survival Flight EMS (equipment fee usage and hands-on instructor training)

Class size is limited and will be offered on a first come basis so don’t wait!

Enrollment is open now. This is a hybrid course that includes an online component and also an in-person hands-on skills assessment. There is a minimum requirement of 12 hours of ambulance ride time, and you must also provide signed documentation verifying ER or ICU experience. Ride-along experiences may be completed with any ambulance service that is licensed within the state of Arkansas. 

The online component of the class must be completed prior to the hands-on skills assessment. The hands-on skills assessment will be held in Batesville, AR at Survival Flight, Inc. 

Pre-requisites: Must be a current licensed healthcare professional with a valid Basic Life Support CPR certification card. 

This course is a satellite program of the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. Upon registration, you will be given access by the instructor to Pearson's MyLab Brady to begin the online portion of your coursework. 

Class Dates:

• Open enrollment for online coursework begins: Now
• In-Person Skills Check-Off: 10/30/26

Students who plan to enroll in the RN to EMT Bridge program must first create an account in the Arkansas Department of Health EMS Portal before they can be officially registered and added to the course roster.

Detailed instructions are provided below:

To receive access to the online coursework and be placed on the official roster, students must: 

• Register at the link above and pay the $199 fee
• Create an account on the Arkansas EMS Portal
  
• On the portal - Click “Applications”, then select “View All Personnel Applications.”
• Select UA Community College - Batesville and enter/select the 7-digit ADH course number 2615061
• Complete and submit the “Intention for New Action” form
• This will add you to the "Official" State EMS course roster (at this point the instructor can see the roster populate in the portal)

Having issues? 
For more detailed information, students should download this pdf from the ADH section of the EMS link. If you do not see the "Intention for New Action" form, then email your name and course number to thomas.lemon@uaccb.edu and to ADHEMS@arkansas.gov as soon as possible. 

Your instructor is responsible for collecting completed and notarized background check forms and mailing them to Arkansas Department of Health (ADH).

If you experience difficulty creating your account, please contact the Arkansas Department of Health at 501-661-2262 and ask to speak with Britt Matthews or Amanda White for assistance.

For any other questions, call 870-612-2082. 

Cancellations: To cancel a class, five (5) business days' notice prior to the course start date is required to withdraw and receive a refund. 

CDL Permit Prep

Get Ready to Pass Your Commercial Learner's Permit Exam.

Course Description

This class is designed to help future CDL drivers prepare for the Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) exam. Students will learn how to navigate the Arkansas CDL Manual, use CDL study tools and practice tests, utilize the CDL Prep mobile app, and schedule their permit exam. 

What Students Will Learn

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Download and navigate the Arkansas CDL Handbook 2026.
• Identify key topics covered on the CLP knowledge exam.
• Use the CDL Prep App and online study resources effectively.
• Complete practice tests and identify areas needing improvement.
• Understand the permit testing process and required documentation.
• Schedule a permit exam appointment.

Class Details

The class is 1.5 hours long and will be held on Friday, October 30th from 10 AM - 11:30 AM in the Welcome Center, room 217. Katrina Stevens, Community Education Coordinator, will facilitate the class. 

What to Bring

Students will need to bring a smartphone, tablet, or laptop to class. 

Cost 

This class is free. 

Register now >>

In this online medical assistant training program, you will learn a broad range of skills that make medical assistants versatile and valuable, including medical terminology, medical law and ethics, HIPAA rules, and scheduling systems. You will also learn how to perform duties of a medical assistant, such as measuring vital signs, assisting with exams, performing laboratory testing, maintaining equipment and supplies, administering injections, obtaining blood specimens, scheduling appointments, registering patients, and more.

The medical terminology course curriculum introduces key concepts of medical language and human anatomy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of body systems in health and disease. You will cover topics such as musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, and immune systems. The online medical assistant certification course also includes the opportunity to become CPR certified and participate in an unpaid clinical experience.

Scholarship Eligibility: 

This course qualifies for the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, which may significantly reduce the out-of-pocket tuition costs for eligible students. 

To be eligible, you must: 

• Be an Arkansas resident for at least 6 months.
• Provide proof of high school completion, such as a high school diploma, transcript, or GED. 

If you are interested in applying for the scholarship to assist with tuition costs, please call 870-612-2082 to receive a special registration link. This link will allow you to apply for the program and begin the scholarship application process.

Course Code: GES180
Course Hours: 540

Register now >>

Electrocardiography (EKG) technicians are vital members of any healthcare team. If you want to join the booming healthcare industry as an EKG tech, this in-depth EKG technician certification course will train you on key concepts and prepare you for career success. You will learn to apply, monitor, and measure electrocardiography tests in a flexible, online learning environment.

As you progress through this EKG technician course, you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to earn a nationally recognized EKG technician certification, which includes measuring basic vital signs, performing rapid response procedures, operating an EKG machine, and identifying rhythms. As you prepare for your EKG technician certification, you will get solid introduction to key medical terminology, including the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune systems, and other important health systems you will need to know as an EKG technician. Students with prior knowledge can optionally test out by achieving a minimum score of 80%, replacing course content if desired. It is important to understand that this course feature only applies to the online Medical Terminology course.

Upon completion of this EKG technician course, you will be prepared to take the Certified EKG Technician (CET), provided by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). You will also receive a voucher for the Certified EKG Technician (CET) certification exam. The voucher is prepaid access to sit for the certifying exam upon eligibility.

This EKG technician certification course also includes an opportunity to apply to participate in a clinical experience.

Scholarship Eligibility:

This course qualifies for the Arkansas Workforce Challenge Scholarship, which may significantly reduce the out-of-pocket tuition costs for eligible students.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be an Arkansas resident for at least 12 months. 
• Provide proof of high school completion, such as a high school diploma, transcript, or GED.

If you have questions about your eligibility or would like assistance applying for the scholarship, please call 870-612-2082.

Course Code: GES1047
Course Hours: 170