“Battalion 48: Train Long, Fight Strong”
Courtesy photos.
OXNARD — The Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy Graduation for Battalion 48 took place on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the campus performing arts building. The ceremony acknowledged 35 young men who completed a vital step towards taking on the noble pursuit of becoming a fire fighter or to carry out related careers in public safety/fire service.
In the wake of the Thomas Fire here in Ventura County and other wildfires throughout Southern California, the fire academy graduation served as a humble reminder to the tremendous importance fire fighters have in our communities. The graduates were reminded of their value in society and the impact they will have; just as we all have recently witnessed fire fighters protecting life, property, and public safety to maintain functional and healthy communities.
A diverse battalion, with vast experience and intriguing backgrounds in fields such as veterinary medicine, construction, and technology, the battalion was successful due to constant collaboration and reliance on one another. Most impressively Battalion 48 was a very educated group with – one Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; one cadet with a Master of Computer Information; 15 cadets with bachelor’s degrees; seven cadets with associate degrees; and 2 paramedics. Ranging from 20 years of age to 39, they all came together to accomplish a common goal.
The ceremony was filled with authentic words about each cadet as spoken by Captain Tamara Crudo, Fire Academy Coordinator and Instructor. In attendance amongst the packed house were Ventura County Community College District leaders, Trustee Stephen Blum, Chancellor Greg Gillespie, and Oxnard College President Cynthia Azari. “Our graduates are known for being strong, smart, and prepared, this is hard work evident in everything that you do and we want to make sure you know we appreciate everything you do,” a sincere President Azari shared with battalion graduates. Furthermore, Trustee Stephen Blum expressed, “On behalf of the community, to all past, present, and future fire fighters and heroes, thank you.”
Since the program’s inception 300 cadets have been placed on fire crews throughout the nation. The Regional Fire Academy is an accredited California State Fire Marshal program intended to provide an educated recruit base for fire departments in California and goes through reaccreditation every five years. In addition to the California State Fire Marshal, the Fire Technology degree program is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), which also goes through reaccreditation every five years. It is the only Fire Technology degree program accredited by IFSAC in the State of California.
Those making up Battalion 48 include: Jade Alamillo, Chad Allison, John Atkinson, Matthew Barukh, Nicholas Berkeley, Brandon Blair, Greg Branam, Coiln Branham, Michael Calderon, Isaias Castanon, Matthew Carabantes, Isaiah Delsi, Zachary Doerner, Joshua Duarte, Christopher Ethier, Ricardo Gomez, William Jolley, Jamison Jordan, Steven Keller, Deric King, Dylan Kirchberg, Dakota Lasley, Andre Le, Justin Lilley, Kyle Mackerron, Phillip Orzi, Marclay Richardson, Hector Robles, Jamie Robles, Wade Rodriguez, Phillip.
About Oxnard College: Located in Ventura County, Oxnard College is an accredited California community college (part of the Ventura County Community College District), providing approximately 7000 students a year with academically excellent undergraduate study and career technical education programs. Students may choose from more than 60 academic disciplines, culminating in transfer degrees, associate degrees and certificates. Oxnard College has strong transfer partnerships with University of California, California State University and private universities and colleges. To learn more, please visit www.oxnardcollege.edu