Owen High School launches pioneering fire academy program
Swannanoa Fire Chief leads first-of-its-kind course in Buncombe County
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 13, 2021
Swannanoa Fire Chief Anthony Penland, who is leading the inaugural Owen High School Fire Academy, instructs the class during an equipment identification exercise on Oct. 13. Photo by Fred McCormick
In all of the obvious ways, room 154 in Owen High School is nearly identical to the other classrooms in the school, but the instruction that follows the first period bell is unlike any other received in Buncombe County.
The inaugural Owen High Fire Academy, the first of its kind in the county, is led by Swannanoa Fire Department Chief Anthony Penland, and the program is creating a new career path for students at the school. The course offers curriculum, skill training and state certifications for students interested in a firefighting career, while simultaneously creating a direct pipeline for volunteer and career firefighters in the community.
Seven students are enrolled in this year’s class, according to Penland, a Swannanoa native and Owen graduate who is in his 20th year as the chief of his hometown department, which he joined 31 years ago.
“If these students stay with us through the first and second semester, they will have completed all but four certification classes necessary to be a firefighter in the state of N.C.,” Penland said. “The only reason we can’t offer those other four, is because they would need to be at least 18 years of age. But, if they join a fire department out of high school, the fire department can offer those classes.”
The chief hopes the program, which is offered as a continuing education course through Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, will create a local pool of young volunteer firefighters for departments in Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Riceville.
Students in the Owen High School Fire Academy identify a set of irons during an equipment training exercise with the Black Mountain and Swannanoa Fire Departments, Oct. 13. Photo by Fred McCormick
“Call volumes are going up, but our volunteer fire service has fallen by about 12%, so our hope is that we can build enthusiasm with these students, and they will go out and join a department after they graduate,” Penland said.
“We bring in our local firefighters on a regular basis, so they can interact,” he continued. “That gives the students a chance to speak with folks who are working in fire service, and hopefully give them some insight on whether or not it’s a career they are interested in pursuing.”
Most classes are taught by guest instructors, while others are led by Penland, and each contains a set of practical skills that students must master before they can sit for the written exam. The first class focused on the history of fire service, communication and establishing and transferring command.
“Their practical objective was to be able to pull up to the scene of a call, size it up, and establish command,” Penland said. “They had to perform what we call a 360, which involves walking around a building and observing specific things. Then, they had to learn to transfer command, once it was established.”
The course included another class on firefighter health and safety, and the current class focuses on personal protective equipment. The students were joined by firefighters from Black Mountain and Swannanoa, Oct. 13, to perform an equipment identification exercise in the parking lot of the school. Firefighters called out a piece of equipment on the truck, and students located and identified the item.
“We do this because when firefighters come in, in the morning, they do an equipment check on all of the apparatus,” Penland said. “Today, we’re switching that up to help the students sharpen their skills when it comes to identifying specific equipment.”
Owen Fire Academy students learn about the uses of an attic ladder in a rescue situation during a training exercise. Photo by Fred McCormick
Senior Gavin Bertrand has been interested in firefighting for most of his life. As he approached the end of his high school career, he began to seriously consider it as an option for a potential career. He was excited once he found out the school was introducing a fire academy this year.
“I really like the idea of a career in firefighting because I enjoy helping people,” he said. “So, this academy is a great opportunity for me, and I’m really happy it fell into place.”
Bertrand recently began volunteering as a cadet at the Riceville Fire Department.
“Between this program and Riceville, I’ve really gained a lot of knowledge that will really help me going into this career,” he said. “This program has also really helped build my confidence, and as I go forward as a firefighter, after high school, I’ll already be knowledgeable about the engines in Swannanoa, Riceville and Black Mountain.”
The hands-on nature of the training exercises have already helped the students develop competency in crucial firefighting duties, according to Bertrand.
“One day, we came out here and stretched hose lines on the football field,” he said. “That really helps you get a feel for what is involved in that and what it’s like to handle that line. That’s a process you have to be familiar with, as a firefighter.”
The academy has given Cooper Myers an opportunity to learn more about the field his father once worked in, while deciding if it's one he’d like to pursue after graduation.
“My dad worked for the Swannanoa and Black Mountain departments,” Myers said. “I’m not completely sure what I want to do for a career, so this program gives me a chance to learn about firefighting, and see if I want to do the work my dad did.”
Myers plans to attend Western Carolina University after high school, and the new academy will help him determine a future career path.
“I’ve already learned that there is a lot more involved in firefighting than what I expected coming in,” he said. “It’s been interesting to see all of the specific details you have to remember and training you have to stay up-to-date on to be a firefighter.”
Offering the academy at the high school level will help students view a career in firefighting as a viable option, according to Myers.
Seven students are enrolled in the fire academy program at Owen High School, which is the first of its kind in Buncombe County. Photo by Fred McCormick
“I think this is a career that a lot of people don’t think about until after they’ve graduated,” he said. “Knowing that option is out there, and having a program like this, will draw more people into firefighting.”
Increasing interest in the field is one of the academy’s goals, according to Penland.
“There is a need for volunteer firefighters right here in this community, and we feel like this program is a great way to address it, while introducing high school students to a potential career,” he said. “And from my personal experience, a job serving people is one of the greatest jobs you can have.”