Verde Valley News – Along with the physical and mental demands of the YC Fire Academy, fall 2024 class graduation speaker Austin Fradette said the journey demanded from him and his 17 classmates to know the truth: “Do you want this?” The answer from the group of cadets celebrating their successful completion of the 16-week academy on Dec. 14: a resounding “yes.”
“That’s what I thought,” Austin replied, then continued his graduation speech. “The fire service is tough, it’s taxing and you work your butt off. Sleepless nights and never-ending calls. Your interactions with people are during their worst moments. Think about that for a second. A person’s worst moment and they call us. What an absolute honor that is, to be able to be a person’s comfort in their time of need.”
Referring to a John Wayne quote about never working a day in your life in a job you love, Austin closed his remarks saying, “I’m so excited to never work again.”
Austin and his fellow graduates, the second YC Fire Academy graduating class this year, all aim to join the ranks of first-responder agencies near and far, to earn more credentials, EMT or Paramedic, and even fire science degrees in pursuit of their dreams to be on the frontlines in crises.
Their selfless aims were called out by YC President Dr. Lisa Rhine who, in her address to the graduates said, “completing this program is no small feat. You have demonstrated unwavering commitment to a field that demands skill, resilience, and above all, a servant’s heart… Graduates, as you move forward, remember that you are part of a proud legacy of those who put others before themselves. I urge you to continue striving for excellence, to serve with integrity, and to always uphold the values that brought you to this point.”
In her fire academy graduation remarks, YC Vice President of Workforce Development and Health Sciences Dr. Marylou Mercado told the graduates they have earned their place in the fire service – “a brotherhood and sisterhood rooted in tradition, service and trust…. We are proud of you, we believe in you and we thank you for choosing a path of service that makes our world safer and stronger.”
In his closing address, YC Director of Fire Science Robert Borker asserted that “caring and compassion” are the most important characteristics of first responders and he asked the graduates to treat the fire service like a national forest. “You take only pictures, leave only footprints and leave it better than you found it. If you do that, the fire service will take care of you if you take care of each other.”
Following are the graduates of YC Fire Academy Class 24-02:
Noah Allen, Jeremy Carroll, Rachel Dewees, Patrick Eyler, Austin Fradette, Korin Franks, Eric Jackson, Sunshine Johnson, Jordan Kelley, Joshua Kidwiler, Alexander King, Zachary Morgan, Tyler Petersen, Drew Peterson, Karl Samter, Henry Schulman, Benjamin Schwartz and Mason Taylor.