Tahoe college will offer firefighting academy

Once considered as fleeting an idea as a puff of smoke, an academy to train aspiring firefighters has blazed into a reality.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy will be part of Lake Tahoe Community College's 2006-07 schedule and aims to be the hiring pool for fire agencies in the area.

"It is probably the most inquired about program that I have under my management," said Virginia Boyar, director of vocational education at the college. "People always want to know about a fire academy, when we're going to get one, all of that kind of good stuff because they want to get some training in the hills so they don't have to commute to the closest fire academy, which is in Sacramento."

It took about a year to get the idea off the ground, said Leona Allen, coordinator for the fire academy. The academy has almost no money so necessary equipment, such as turncoats, has been donated.

"So we're begging, borrowing, and stealing from area fire departments," said Allen.

Allen's dream is to have training grounds at the college, which has ample space. For the time being, however, exercises on hazardous materials, hoses and nozzles, ladders and other firefighting techniques will be done at various fire stations.

The academy will have courses unique to Tahoe, such as ice and swift- water rescues. Allen said students will need to be in good shape, as the courses will be physically demanding.

Area departments have been plagued in finding firefighters who are accustomed to the high housing prices and retaining firefighters who leave for bigger departments.

Instructors for the courses will be Tahoe firefighters. Using resident firefighters will help build a bridge with students, said South Lake Tahoe Fire Department Chief Lorenzo Gigliotti.

"Using locally based instructors draws localized experience into a program that we hope to use to train future firefighters, which we can access within the local job market," he said.

Jeff Michael, chief of Lake Valley Fire Protection District, agreed.

"This academy gives the (Tahoe) Basin chiefs a valuable resource pool for hiring our future fire fighters," Michael said. "It is a great value for us to have fire fighters from this community that are accustomed to the different elements and aspects of the basin and that can become long-lasting, career-minded employees."

A police academy used to be at the college. Some classes remain, but interest has waned in being a police officer, while people wanting to become a firefighter or paramedic has increased, Allen said.

"Ever since (Sept. 11), it seems to be on the increase," she said.

Allen is trying to keep fees associated with the program below $1,000.

A meeting for those interested in attending the academy is scheduled for Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. at the college's student center.

Instruction will be on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day on Saturdays.

For more information, contact Boyar at (530) 541-4660, ext. 298.