PELL CITY — Thirteen firefighters completed their training this week at the Pell City Fire Academy, and are scheduled to graduate and be fully certified today.

“With budget cuts the way they are in a lot of cities, hiring firefighters is kind of slow,” said Tim Kuszejeski, one of the lead instructors for the academy. “But we’ve had a pretty good class this time around.”

Kuszejeski, along with training captain Larry Horton, led the trainees through their last round of exercises Wednesday, through the Moody Fire Department’s mobile fire training unit. The unit — a modified trailer — is the closest thing firefighting trainees can get to the real thing, without an acquired structure, according to Kuszejeski.

“It all depends on the scenario (the instructors use),” he said.

Moody put the unit into service a little more than a year ago, after receiving it through a federal grant. Moody Police Chief James Robinson said “more than 200” firefighters have benefited from the training since it went into service.

“(Our department) can’t attend every emergency around our area,” Robinson said. “By teaching and using this kind of tool, we’re able to expand our influence and really help firefighters.

“Number one, it allows them to be as safe as possible; number two, it allows them to develop a skill set and be more effective doing their jobs.”

Kuszejeski praised the department from Moody, saying it was emblematic of the entire county’s willingness to work together.

“The cooperation has been great between the two departments,” he said.

Volunteers in attendance came from all over the area, including Talladega, Oneonta and Pleasant Grove. The academy even had one unique trainee — Hunter Horton, from Palmerdale, was there to train under his father, Larry.

“I don’t know if that’s ever happened anywhere,” Kuszejeski said.