I’ve always thought of firefighters as superheroes, ever since men in big yellow suits pulled my family out of a car wreck when I was five years old.

Dear John xxxxxx,

I’ve always thought of firefighters as superheroes, ever since men in big yellow suits and a big red truck pulled my family out of a car wreck when I was just five years old.

I was thinking of these superheroes, who run into peril to save the lives of others, when I saw the moving graduation of our second Ventura Training Center (VTC) class. These 11 men put their hearts and souls into a training program, culminating in this special day. It included firefighter survival skills exercises, rigorous academic study, and hands-on training to prepare for work in firefighting.
I met friends and family who were beaming to see their loved ones succeed and have the chance to keep their communities safe. This marks one more step of their preparation for a life in public service, contributing to the safety of the communities surrounding them.

We are grateful to be a partner of VTC, which is made up of CALFIRE, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), California Conservation Corps (CCC), ARC, and with special support from the Governor’s office.

At the graduation, I thought about how many people who have come before wished to be in the graduates’ shoes. I want especially to acknowledge the services of Matthew Beck ([link removed][UNIQID]) , Shawna Lynn Jones ([link removed][UNIQID]) , and Frank Anaya ([link removed][UNIQID]) , three young people who died fighting fires while incarcerated in recent years. Matthew, Shawna, and Frank died in the line of duty in order to help our communities. They hoped to be standing at a place like VTC, and we are proud that the VTC graduates will continue to pave a path for those that come after them.
As we move into what will likely be another harrowing fire season, we are proud and grateful for the hard work and accomplishments of our VTC graduates. And we are deeply grateful for your support, which makes all of our work possible.

Sincerely,

Sam Lewis
Executive Director

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