Thirty Cadets Graduate from AHC Fire Academy
MAY 15, 2026-- 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.”
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 157 graduates 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.
