FIRE CADETS SHOW THEY KNOW THE DRILL.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer As more than 250 proud parents and admiring officials watched Saturday, fire academy cadets rappelled down a 70-foot building, put up ladders and performed a simulated rescue of a firefighter from a smoke-filled building. The demonstrations were part of the graduation ceremony Saturday at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or for 44 high school and community college students who participated in the 9-week FIRE (Fire Instruction, Recruitment and Education) Drill Tower Academy. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. City Councilman Tony Cardenas Tony Cardenas served in the California State Assembly. In the Assembly, he had the powerful position of chair of the Budget Committee. He is now a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 6th district, which includes parts of the San Fernando Valley. praised the hard work of the cadets, many of whom aspire to become firefighters. ``For the man or woman who has to run into a burning building to look for a child, or carry a senior down the stairs Adv. 1. down the stairs - on a floor below; "the tenants live downstairs" downstairs, on a lower floor, below through a smoke-filled room,'' knowing they might not come out alive, Cardenas said, ``that is certainly courage, and that is certainly bravery, but that is true love for your fellow man or woman.'' The Los Angeles Fire Department's FIRE Drill Tower Academy is a ``school-to-career'' after-school program for high school and community college students. It is sponsored by the LAFD LAFD Los Angeles Fire Department LAFD Los Alamos Fire Department LAFD London Association of Funeral Directors (UK) and four community colleges: East Los Angeles College ELAC is a two year college, offering associate degree programs in over 25 fields as well as both academic transfer courses which prepare students for admission to the University of California and California State University system and occupational programs which prepare students for , Los Angeles Harbor College Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) is one of two community colleges serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles. LAHC serves mainly students from Harbor City, Carson, San Pedro, Gardena, Lomita, Wilmington and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. , Los Angeles Valley College LAVC redirects here. For the software library, see libavcodec. The university is adjacent to Grant High School. Often called "Valley College" or simply "Valley" by those who frequent the campus, it opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1949, at which time the campus was and West Los Angeles College WLAC is a part of the California Community Colleges system, within the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), and fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges[1]. . More than 20 Los Angeles area high schools participate in the program. ``It was great!'' said James Bernardo, 19, of Arleta. ``I learned all the basics; I'm ready for whatever happens in this city. I'm prepared. ``I just have always wanted to be a firefighter, since I was a child,'' said Bernardo, who won an award Saturday for his work as captain of his squad and who currently attends LAVC LAVC Los Angeles Valley College LAVC Local Area VAX Cluster (DEC) . ``You see people saving lives, saving structures - it's a great job! Every day, it's something different.'' Sotero Cristerna, 19, of Pacoima went through the academy last year and came to watch his friends graduate. He also attends LAVC and plans to become a firefighter. ``They're respected, and I think it's a good job,'' Cristerna said. ``(The academy) prepares you for the different things firefighters do, and it helps you a lot.'' ``I just thought it was call after call after call, but they do a lot of stuff in the firehouse, too.'' Battalion Chief Daren Palacios, FIRE program coordinator, said even if the cadets don't become firefighters, they will have learned discipline, teamwork and other skills that will help them in their future careers. But the series of academies, which start with students as young as ninth-graders, also serves as a recruitment tool for the fire department, particularly in attracting women and minorities. Of the 44 cadets, 14 are female. One of those, Justine Valentin, 17, of San Pedro said she had no trouble with the physical demands of being a firefighter. Of course, she is also on her school's swim team and drill team and is a dancer. ``You can do it,'' she said. ``You just have to put your mind to it, practice and work out and try.'' Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 3) Cadet Vanessa Verduzco, top, gets ready to rappel down a seven-story tower during the Los Angeles Fire Department's FIRE Drill Tower Academy on Saturday. Kenneth Oden, left, smiles at his family after receiving his fire certificate during graduation. Squad 5's Shaun Barron, above, shares a moment - and his trophies - with girlfriend Lupe Gonzalez. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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