Full-ride scholarship recipients complete VVC's Fire Academy

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·2 min read
Left to right, Maurice Buckner and Austin Almendarez are full-ride Victorville Fire Academy Scholarship recipients.
Left to right, Maurice Buckner and Austin Almendarez are full-ride Victorville Fire Academy Scholarship recipients.

Maurice Buckner and Austin Almendarez, were among 36 candidates who recently completed the Victor Valley College Fire Academy.

To help develop future firefighters, the City of Victorville collaborated with the VVC Foundation to establish two, full-ride scholarships to the fire academy.

Scholarship recipients Buckner and Almendarez each received $4,000 from the city to cover all expenses associated with the academy such as tuition, uniforms, gear, certifications, books, and other fees. They both completed the academy last month.

“The City of Victorville is investing in these scholarships as part of a broader effort to attract and retain top talent,” said Victorville Fire Chief Brian Fallon. “We take seriously our responsibility to develop future fire service leaders to provide top quality public safety services for our growing community.”

In addition to the two fire scholarships, the city also invested in a full-ride scholarship for one student to attend VVC’s Aviation Maintenance Technology Program in the New Year.

The AMT Program prepares airframe and powerplant technicians to work for aviation companies operating at the city’s Southern California Logistics Airport, including global companies like Boeing, GE Aviation, General Atomics, ComAv, and more.

The aviation program operates at SCLA in space donated by the city decades ago.

“We’re proud to be a long-time supporter of Victor Valley College and its Foundation. With these scholarships, the City of Victorville is investing in the future of our community,” said Victorville Mayor Debra Jones. “We can’t wait to see the positive impact these talented individuals have on Victorville and the High Desert Region.”

The Victorville Fire Department dates back to 1926 when the Victorville County Fire Protection District was established. Four years later, the Victorville Volunteer Fire Department was created.

In 1976, approximately 14 years after Victorville was incorporated, control of the Victorville Fire Protection District was assumed by the city.

In March 2019, the city re-established its fire department after contracting fire services from San Bernardino County Fire for 10 years.

To learn more about career opportunities with the City of Victorville, reach out to the city’s Human Resources Team and look for job opportunities posted at VictorvilleCA.gov/jobs.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Full-ride scholarship recipients complete VVC's Fire Academy