Las Positas College Fire Academy Gets Additional Accreditation

LIVERMORE, CA - From Las Positas College: Las Positas College's Fire Academy was recently recommended by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Office of the State Fire Marshall, State Fire Training Division (OSFM-SFT) as an Accredited Regional Training Program (ARTP) in the State Fire Training (SFT) system. The program, accredited for an initial period of three years, will provide certificates from SFT and the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and is intended to provide an educated recruit base for fire departments in the state of California.

The new accreditation will allow LPC to offer a Basic Firefighter -1 academy, which will allow graduates to obtain work as firefighters through instruction that will provide an academic, behavioral, physical and manipulative skills base. Students will additionally receive certificates from OFSM-ST and NWCF in Incident Command Systems and Wildland Firefighting, and graduates will be prepared to enter into select firefighter positions within Alameda County and Contra Costa County fire departments.

"Receiving this accreditation could not have been done without the hard work and vision of Faculty Emeritus Ron Johansen in the Fire Science Technology program and Deans Neal Ely, Lisa Everett, Nan Ho and Don Carlson," LPC's Interim President Roanna Bennie. "We have the expectation and hope that all LPC Fire Academy graduates will obtain employment in fire departments throughout Alameda County or become firefighters elsewhere within the state or country."

LPC's first ARTP Fire Academy began on January 15 with 30 students prepared to begin their training under the tutelage of Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department (LPFD) firefighters and officers appointed to teach through LPC.

About Las Positas College
Las Positas College currently enrolls 8,000 students and offers curriculum for students seeking transfer to a four-year college or university, career preparation, or basic skills education. The College provides university transfer classes, retraining classes for those in need of employment or career advancement, a first-time educational opportunity for many adults, enrichment classes for those seeking a broader perspective, and career and technical training for those entering the technical and paraprofessional workforce.

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