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Tuesday, 19 May 2026
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Written by Vincent Lewis
If you've ever considered a career on the front lines of public safety, now is the time — and Fayetteville Technical Community College is ready to train you.
On January 7, 2026, FTCC officially opened Phase II of the J. Larry Keen Regional Fire Rescue Training Facility, marking a landmark moment in emergency response education in North Carolina. The expansion transforms an already impressive complex into one of the most comprehensive fire and rescue training environments in the region and arrives just as demand for qualified firefighters and emergency responders is surging across the country.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 27,100 firefighter job openings are projected each year through 2034, driven not just by growth but by the ongoing need to replace retiring professionals. Fire inspectors and investigators face an even brighter outlook, with employment projected to grow 6 percent, faster than the average for all occupations and generating roughly 1,800 openings annually.
The national median annual wage for firefighters stands at $59,530, while fire inspectors earn a median of $75,480 per year. For those ready to answer the call, the opportunity is real, and it starts with the right training.
Phase II introduces several training features designed to mirror the situations responders face every day. Two new live-fire burn buildings — a one-story single-family residence and a two-story apartment structure — were intentionally modeled after the types of properties most commonly found in communities. These structures complement the existing three-story multi-use burn building, giving trainees of all experience levels a diverse, realistic landscape to sharpen their skills in fire suppression, search and rescue, ventilation, firefighter rescue, and incident command management.
Training in lifelike conditions isn't just about realism; it's about survival. Quick, informed decision-making under pressure is what separates good responders from great ones, and FTCC's expanded facility is engineered to build exactly that instinct.
Adjacent to the apartment burn building, a flashover simulator puts trainees face-to-face with one of firefighting's most lethal phenomena. Flashover, the near-simultaneous ignition of an entire room, can occur in seconds and is responsible for a significant number of firefighter fatalities each year. In this controlled environment, students safely observe how fires develop and escalate, learning to recognize the critical warning signs before conditions become deadly.
The expansion goes beyond structural firefighting to prepare responders for some of the most complex emergencies imaginable:
• Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Simulator — A liquid propane gas-fed prop designed to resemble an aircraft, providing hands-on practice in managing aviation-related fires that demand unique tactics and rapid response.
• Flammable Liquids Fire Training Prop — A 900-square-foot LP gas-fueled concrete training pad where firefighters practice extinguishing fires caused by gasoline or industrial chemical spills and hazards that present distinct and dangerous challenges.
• Fire Investigation Pods — Three dedicated spaces where trainees learn to determine the origin and cause of fires, conducted in partnership with the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal. This collaboration bridges classroom learning with real-world investigative practice, covering fire behavior, evidence collection, and investigative procedures.
Supporting infrastructure added in Phase II, including a warehouse for equipment storage, an open-air shelter, and on-site restroom facilities, ensures the facility can host a wide range of programs comfortably and efficiently. The complex serves not only local departments but agencies from across the region and other states, making it a critical hub for professional development at every level.
The completion of Phase II is more than a construction milestone. It's an investment in the future of public safety and the careers of those who dedicate their lives to it. With a growing job market and competitive salaries, fire and rescue offers a career path that is both financially rewarding and profoundly meaningful.
For more information on enrolling in FTCC's Fire Protection Technology Program or to learn how your fire and rescue department can utilize this world-class facility, visit ftcc.edu/fire-protection-technology, contact Vincent Lewis, director of fire, rescue, and swift water training at Fayetteville Technical Community College by email at lewisv@faytechcc.edu or by phone at 910-486-7472. The facility is located at 775 Tom Starling Rd.
(Photo courtesy of FTCC Fire, Rescue and Swift Water's Facebook page)
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Tuesday, 19 May 2026
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Written by Lia Tremblay
Surgery to repair an orthopedic injury can be complicated and delicate. It takes a skilled surgeon to get the job done right.
But after surgery, the key to a full recovery is usually in the hands of the patient. Working diligently through a consistent routine of physical therapy is essential to rebuilding strength and range of motion. And there are no shortcuts.
“Patients who aren’t keeping up with their PT can experience things like stiffness, lack of mobility or muscle weakness,” said Courtney Kinney, a physical therapy assistant at Fayetteville Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. “They start to see pretty quickly that they aren’t getting as far as they’d like to be.”
Kinney sees a variety of cases, from older patients recovering from hip replacement to high school athletes with sports injuries. Most require several weeks or months of therapy, and some need lots of encouragement when the road seems very long.
“Usually, I’ll ask the patient what they’re trying to get back to doing,” she said. “Maybe she likes to garden, so she’ll need to be on her knees a lot. I can explain how doing the lunges she’s working on will help her get there.”
For one of Kinney’s patients, Cameron Seagroves, the goal was pretty clear: He wanted to get back to baseball. Seagroves plays for Methodist University, but last year he was sidelined by a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a painful knee injury. Christopher J. Barnes, MD, performed the surgery to repair it.
“And then three days after surgery, I started physical therapy,” he said. “It was about seven months of consistent PT, twice a week.”
That’s at least a couple of months earlier than he thought he might be released from PT. Seagroves said his own strong will had a lot to do with his speedy success, but he also gives credit to the staff at Fayetteville Orthopedics & Sports Medicine for personalizing his routine to his level of ability and fitness.
“Sometimes I would come in and say, ‘Hey, I saw this move on Instagram,’ or ‘Maybe we could try this,’” he said. “And we’d work together and build a program that was great for me. Honestly, what they did with me in PT are probably some of the most athletic movements I’ve had to do.”
Phillip Torres is no stranger to physical exertion either. An avid weightlifter, he has always loved the gym and enjoyed challenging workouts. After tearing his rotator cuff in a mishap at his manufacturing job, he knew he would need surgery. Daniel E. McBrayer, MD, performed a reverse shoulder replacement procedure to start Torres’ recovery.
“My first PT appointment was four days later,” he said. “That first day was excruciating, but I knew it would get easier.”
Torres knew from previous injuries that it was important not only to faithfully attend his PT appointments, but also to keep up with his assigned exercises between visits.
“I was going to therapy and then doing the routine again on my own at home that same day,” he said. “A lot of people don’t do the homework, and then they don’t have the results they want.”
Torres said there were definitely times when he felt uncertain about his progress.
“I was scared to re-injure myself,” he said, “but every time I would come back, I’d have a little more progress than the last time.”
A little over four months after his first appointment, Torres was doing pull-ups unassisted. He was glad to be graduating from PT, but sad to say goodbye to his physical therapist, Kaitie[AC1.1] Bogue, whom he’d grown to consider a friend.
“She was the catalyst for my success,” he said. “From the first appointment, she knew what I meant when I said, ‘I want to be back where I was before the injury. I’m not going to settle for less.’”
Whether the patient is a gym fanatic or an octogenarian, Kinney said, she aims to meet them where they are and encourage them toward their own personal goals.
“It’s important that they understand what we’re doing, and that it’s in their best interest,” she said. “It can be really hard in the beginning, but if you just trust the process, it really does get easier.”
The best part for her is seeing a patient long after their last session, doing exactly what they wanted to do.
“Sometimes they’ll stop in to say hi,” she said, “or I’ll give them a call and see how they’re doing. And it’s really cool to see that it all worked.”
Orthopedic patients in Harnett and Hoke Counties now have access to new robotic technologies for joint replacements, as Cape Fear Valley Health rolls out the Mako SmartRobotics system for hip and knee surgery , the ROSA Knee System for knee replacement procedures and the CORI Surgical System knee and hip replacements.
“The technology allows the surgeons to use robotic systems to enhance precision, accuracy, and customization during complex joint replacement surgeries,” says Colby Warren, Director of Physician Practices for Cape Fear Valley Medical Group. “The robots do not act alone, they act as a tool directed by the surgeon to perform precise cuts and implant placement. The surgeons have gone through hours of training to be able to use these systems.”
For patients, using a robotic system can provide better outcomes and longevity on the implant. Some patients have often experienced less post-op pain compared to the conventional procedure.
(Photo courtesy of Cape Fear Valley Health)
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