Program Graduates 61 Firefighter Cadets
An academy established at Oxnard College last year to train firefighters saw 61 cadets, including six women, graduate this week, officials said.
The Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy held graduation ceremonies for two classes of students Thursday at Oxnard Fire Station 1, said college spokeswoman Cathy Garnica.
During the ceremonies, Ed French, a fire technology instructor and program facilitator, was also honored. French will retire from the Oxnard College faculty later this month, Garnica said.
French credited the academy’s success to college President Steven F. Arvizu and leaders of fire departments involved in the classes.
“We’ve established a good partnership that will be the foundation for an outstanding academy,” French said.
The state-certified academy is a six-month program that includes 480 hours of rescue operations and work in confined spaces. Cadets earn a Wildland Firefighter Certificate and are qualified to apply for full-time firefighting positions.
The academy was created in 1997 to train men and women in the academic and manipulative skills necessary for firefighting. The academy was proposed by local fire officials interested in a larger pool of recruits, Garnica said.
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