News release
Ten students from Bowman High School graduated on May 24 from the first Wildland Fire Academy organized and facilitated by Hollywood Impact Studios, a nonprofit faith-based organization.
This eight-week course was held at Miracle Mountain in the Angeles National Forest, 12 miles past Castaic.
In January, the Hughes fire threatened the area, but Miracle Mountain was spared and the class started on schedule. This fire, however, provided a real-world experience for these students who could see firsthand the effect that wildfires have on the land and communities, stressing the importance of fire safety, said a news release from the academy.
The students were directed by highly experienced retired firefighters in all areas of wildland firefighting, the release said. The foundational principle was how to successfully work as a crew with safety and communication being key elements. The class also included physical training, equipment use and maintenance, trail maintenance, agriculture and land management, fire control, and of course how to put out fires.
At graduation, the students demonstrated some of their newly earned skills working as a wildland firefighting crew under the supervision of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
In addition to parents, relatives and friends, Stephanie English, from L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office, attended the ceremony to present the graduates with certificates and words of praise for their accomplishment.
Bowman Principal Nina Zamora spoke of how proud she and Bowman were of these students. As part of the ceremony, Zamora presented Hollywood Impact Studios with the William S. Hart Union High School District One Hart Challenge Coin for the organization’s positive impact on the students under the leadership of Gary Hall and Cyndi Hall, the nonprofit’s president and vice president.
