Twenty-One Cadets Graduate From Hancock's Fire Academy
MAY 19, 2022 -- Twenty-one cadets graduated from Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy on May 19 at the college’s Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc.
The ceremony marked the end of a rigorous 18-week academy consisting of 624 hours of classroom and field instruction for the cadets in Battalion 149. The ceremony was also an acknowledgment that the cadets had not only completed that training but met and exceeded the state and national certification training standards for Firefighter I Certification.
“The successful completion of such a rigorous training program has taken the absolute dedication of each and every cadet and we truly appreciate the enthusiasm and efforts of these graduates,” said Hancock Fire Academy Coordinator Leonard Champion. “The fire service stands to be well served by this new talent, and the fire, safety and EMS staff at Hancock are proud to have been the provider of their basic education and skills training.”
Before the ceremony, the cadets gave a live demonstration of the skills they learned during their time at the academy; running fire hoses, dousing burning cars and extricating “victims” from vehicle wrecks outside the PSTC’s burn tower.
With their newly earned certification in hand, the 21 cadets are now able to pursue their firefighting careers. Two graduating cadets, Emilio Jimenez and Thomas Jimenez, will go on to work for the Chumash Fire Department. Academy graduate Matthew Richards has been hired by the San Luis Obispo County Fire Department, and academy graduate Jordan Robinson will go on to work for the Morro Bay Fire Department.
The full list of Battalion 149 graduates includes: Devon Barthmaier; Benny Breck; Quinn Collision; Cody Forbes; Maxwell Green; James Halleck; Emilio Jimenez; Thomas Jimenez; Kevin Kucinskas; Connor MaCleod; Michael McClanahan; Daniel Mendoza; Nathanial Muraki; Cade Posner; Matthew Richards; Samuel Roberts; Jordan Robinson; Jacob Rosenfeld; Patrick Rowley; Jared Sutton; Levi Taylor.
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Photo Caption: Cadets from Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy demonstrate their skills before graduating during a May 19 ceremony.
