Thirty cadets graduated from Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy May 15 at the college’s Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc. Photo Courtesy of Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy.
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SANTA MARIA — Thirty cadets graduated from Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy on May 15 at the college’s Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc.
The ceremony marked the end of a rigorous 18-week academy consisting of 788 hours of classroom and field instruction for the cadets in Battalion 157. The ceremony was also an acknowledgment that the cadets had not only completed that training but also met and exceeded the state and national certification training standards for Firefighter I Certification.
“Congratulations to our cadets, who have endured a rigorous training program to sit in front of you today,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D.
Before the ceremony, the cadets gave a live demonstration of the skills they learned at the academy, which included running fire hoses, dousing burning cars and extricating “victims” from vehicle wrecks outside the PSTC’s burn tower.
“You have decided to selflessly serve others,” said Fire Academy Coordinator Leonard Champion. “To be the answer when someone in your community is in danger and they need help.”
With their newly earned certifications in hand, the 30 cadets are now able to pursue their firefighting careers.
During the ceremony, Academy Class President Leonel Valencia Valdez reflected on the bond formed between the cadets throughout the academy.
“We showed up for each other every day,” said Valdez. “And that’s what the fire service is about.”
Valdez and his fellow cadets also benefited from the Metallica Scholars initiative, which partially covered the cost of their textbooks, wildfire protective equipment, and other critical resources. The initiative directly benefits approximately 60 Fire Academy cadets annually.
The full list of Battalion 157graduates includes Arvind Bhandal, Randi Brent, Diamond Brown, Mason Bueman, Austin Catlin, Nicolas Fernandez, Fidel Frias Rojas, Rudy Gaytan, Trey Genova, Rafael Gudino Fuentes, Witting Herman, Luke Humphrey, Bryce Jones, Dominic Lamarca, Jared Magana, George Millan, Anthony Moreno, Cole Philip, Tristan Porterfield, Andrew Prater, Mitchell Ray, Alejandro Salas Corona, Devin Sarantinos, Richard Shore, Kaleb Simonin, Thadeus Strong, Alex Sutton, Leonel Valencia Valdez, Nykolas Villa and Nicolas Von Langen.