For nearly four decades, the Cosumnes River College (CRC) fire technology program has helped prepare students for careers in the field, training them to respond to emergencies in both urban and rural areas.
During the summer, the program collaborates daily with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, on wildland fires.
The program has recently expanded into San Joaquin County, including in Clements, a 115-square-mile area that program coordinator Rick Haas described as "wildland heavy."
Haas said what makes CRC's fire program unique is its internship program. Once students get their firefighter certificate and emergency medical card, they can work on a fire engine and ambulance for a 24-hour shift every week at the Cosumnes Fire Department.
"They come in the morning, they check in with their captain, and they are able to do everything that the full-time firefighters can do," Haas said.
Haas has been teaching at CRC for two decades and said 85% of students who go through the program get hired into the fire service.
"What's great is when you see them in the grocery store and they come up and they give you a big old hug," Haas said. "And they say, 'Thank you so much' ... so it's kind of humbling, to be honest, because I don't think of it like we're doing some great work. We're just doing the work that we're supposed to do."
Tim O'Hara is an adjunct professor and Haas' colleague within the program. O'Hara's daughter, Kayla Kerney, is an intern in the program and grew up seeing her dad fight fires.
"My dad has always been my hero and watching him, watching all the sacrifices he made, and just the passion he had for this field, it inspired me," Kerney said. "He's been my biggest inspiration, my biggest motivation, and it's been an honor to walk in his footsteps."
Kerney said her calling came after the unthinkable happened.
"A few years ago, I lost my husband tragically, and I have two small children," Kerney said. "I decided to take this path as a new purpose for me that was God-driven. I have loved every step of the way and I truly believe this is where I was meant to be."
O'Hara said he believes the program has helped his daughter, whom he says is his own "hero," process her grief and could allow her to support others facing similar tragedies.
"Having to go through such tragedy has really given me a new outlook on life ... and I want to give back my life the way that I wasn't able to save my husband, so I would like to spend my entire life saving others," Kerney said.
Auston Schmierer is another intern in the program and was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at age 7. He said that through his challenges, he's learned how to push himself with a dream to become a paramedic.
Schmierer said he's inspired by the impact paramedics can make and "how they can change somebody's life on what is presumably their worst day."
He also described the bond among his classmates, saying the group of 30 students grew into a close-knit community.
"By the end of it, we're all just one big family," Schmierer said.
Kerney, who was also tasked with leading her class, was given a full-time offer to become a firefighter with the Cosumnes Fire Department on Wednesday.
As she prepares to begin her career, Kerney said she carries the memory of her late husband, Harlin, with her.
"He was a hard worker, and he taught me a lot, just work ethic," Kerney said. "Me and him were very much the same, and I always want him to know ... that I'm going to be here, and I'm going to be taking care of our children and our family, and I'm doing the best I can."
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