Thirty cadets graduated from Allan Hancock College's Fire Academy on Thursday, marking the start of their firefighting service.
The ceremony at the Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc featured a live demonstration of the cadets' new skills, including running fire hoses, dousing burning cars, and saving people from car wrecks.
A formal ceremony followed, where the cadets were promoted to certified firefighters.
156th Battalion graduate Dawson Barnes says the milestone event served as a way to honor his father's legacy.
"I'm excited to start my career in the fire service. My dad's been in the fire service my entire life, so it's been, like, kind of my life's journey to look up to him and to follow in his footsteps," Barnes said. "I'm ready to pave my own path in the fire service and start that journey."
Officials say the graduating cadets are the first class to benefit from the Metallica Scholars Initiative, a program that is helping cover the cost of tuition, textbooks, and equipment for dozens of Fire Academy students at Allan Hancock College.
On Friday, 32 cadets in Allan Hancock College's EMT Academy will also graduate from the program.
The ceremony will be held at the Public Safety Training Complex in Lompoc from 10 a.m. to noon.
