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| Graduates of Southwestern Community College’s Fire Academy, Class No. 4 were honored during a graduation ceremony held on Aug. 29 at the Jerry Sutton Public Safety Training Center in Franklin. Pictured are front row, left to right: Curtis Dowdle, dean of SCC’s Public Safety Training Center, Benji Johnson, SCC’s fire/rescue program director; Kara Howard of Cherokee; Kyle Southard, Franklin; Levi Ledford, Franklin; and Jarrett Shuler, Bryson City. Second row, left to right: Matthew Pruett, SCC’s fire/rescue support; Kaylom Saylor, Cherokee; Takoma Bird, Cherokee; Luke Ledford, Franklin; and Scott Vance, Franklin. Not pictured: Christopher McCoy of Cherokee. |
Graduates of Southwestern Community College’s Fire Academy, Class No. 4 were honored during a graduation ceremony held on Aug. 29 at the Jerry Sutton Public Safety Training Center in Franklin.
The nine graduates of Class No. 4 include: Takoma Bird of Cherokee; Kara Howard, Cherokee; Levi Ledford, Franklin; Luke Ledford, Franklin; Christopher McCoy, Cherokee; Kaylom Saylor, Cherokee; Kyle Southard, Franklin; Jarrett Shuler, Bryson City; and Vance Scott, Franklin.
“The Fire Academy is a challenge from day one,” said Benji Johnson, SCC’s fire/rescue program director. “We strive to take the cadets to their absolute breaking point and push them to be stronger physically and mentally as well.”
The graduates underwent 476 hours of intense training and had a 100-percent pass rate on their final exam.
The Fire Academy was started in 2013 to provide high-quality certified firefighters to the public.
Several graduates have pursued full-time and part-time jobs in the fire service, locally and across the state.
For more information about the Fire Academy, contact Johnson at 828.306.7045 or 828.306.7041.
For more information about SCC and the other programs offered, visit www.southwesterncc.edu, call 828.339.4000, or stop by your nearest SCC location today.
