Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) recently played a vital role in supporting local firefighting efforts by allowing the use of its Black Mountain campus parking lots and classrooms as staging grounds for two brush fires near Carefree, Arizona. The fires required extensive resources and coordination, which PVCC was able to facilitate through its infrastructure and community spirit.
West of Lake Bartlett in the Cave Creek Ranger District, the Wildcat fire broke out in May and was initially managed through the Cave Creek Ranger station; however as the fire grew, the team contacted the Holland Community Center which shares a building and parking lot with PVCC’s Black Mountain campus. The fire departments quickly set up its Incident Command center in the parking lot. Just weeks later, logistics were already in place when the Boulder View fire broke out.
“Our campus provided crucial space and facilities necessary to manage the teams and oversee more than 240 fire fighters,” said Loretta Mondragon, associate dean administrative services. “Black Mountain’s Aquila Hall was used to set up the logistic teams that helped support the fire, while the outdoor amphitheater provided a stage to conduct fire debriefing sessions, ensuring clear communication and coordination among the teams.”
“Everything came together in less than 24 hours, even while coordinating with multiple departments including the office of the president, college police, internal business services rental team, Maricopa County Community College District’s legal department, plus the Central West Zone Type 3 incident management team,” she continued. “The collaboration between PVCC, the Holland Community Center, and local fire departments exemplifies the power of community support in a time of crisis.”
“The ability for the incident management team to utilize PVCC’s Black Mountain campus was crucial for us to be able to successfully manage and support the fire fighting efforts on the Boulder View Fire,” explained Michael Martin, Battalion Chief, Northwest District of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. “Supporting fires in and near the communities of Carefree and Cave Creek have always been difficult due to lack of available resources. The use of the campus enabled the team to function relatively close to the fire suppression efforts in the area. There are vital functions to support such large incidents such as cell and radio coverage along with internet and land for daily activities off the fire line. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Black Mountain Campus and personnel for the support and flexibility which proved vital to the success of the fire fighting efforts at all levels.”
Paradise Valley Community College offers a robust Emergency Medical Technology and Fire Science program that includes education, training, skills and competencies, often recommended to enhance or further career development. Led by the EMT and Paramedic Education Program Director Kevin Taussig, Fire Science Program Director Matt Gallaugher, an extremely experienced group of instructors, and a dedicated staff, our accredited programs provide a high-level of education and training in the areas of emergency medical services and fire science. With countless years of combined experience, our faculty and staff bring a wealth of knowledge to our programs and are a great asset to students pursuing Fire Science, EMT, Paramedic Education, and other related professional certifications. Learn more by visiting the PVCC website.