On the evening of May 13, 2025, as the newly sparked Greer Fire burned through Apache County and drew emergency crews from across the region for suppression efforts, forty-seven graduates of Northland Pioneer College’s (NPC) fire science program were earning their firefighting certifications.
Family, friends, NPC administration, instructors, and staff gathered to celebrate the new firefighters who have completed the demanding program as part of the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT) and NPC’s Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 fire science academies. These men and women are now ready to hit the fire lines and assist with emergency incidents throughout the region.
Lewis Noble of the Taylor/Snowflake Fire Department sat in as the guest speaker for the ceremony. Noble also led the adult fire academies as one of the program’s instructors. The ceremony’s original speaker, Chief Jason Payne of the Heber-Overgaard Fire District, had been called into service on the Greer Fire earlier that day.
Noble skillfully took the reins and addressed the students directly. “During this training, you’ve been given a precursor to the field of fire,” he said. “Thank you for your time, commitment, and enthusiasm for this program. I know it wasn’t easy, and for many, it was the hardest thing you’ve ever done. You’ve been pushed to the point of passing out, vomiting, and battling physical fatigue. This is all to fulfill our mantra in fire that ‘everyone goes home’.” He continued, “The jobs we take to provide public safety are high-risk. We must make sure to balance that mantra with the reality that we in the fire service and these graduates will take on. That we will risk our lives, in a calculated manner, to save savable lives.” He explained, “That’s why we pushed these recruits to their breaking point. Made them hit their wall and go past it. Because we want to make sure that they come home. We knew that someday they might be faced with the choice of how to come home.” He told the graduates, “In addition to coming home, the other mantra you should live by for your entire career is ‘I am here to answer the call.’ You are the hope that shows up.” He said, “Always live your life in a way that honors that. Train. Work. Find new and better ways to do things so that when that day comes to fulfill these mantras, you are confident and ready to do so.”
NORTHLAND PIONEER COLLEGE NORTHERN ARIZONA VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY
Lead Instructor: Bill Solomon
- Case Bowers
- Madeline Bowker
- Leonardo Campos
- Dillion Chambers
- Lizbeth Dominguez
- Dylan Doubler
- Tristen Fox
- Til Hatch
- Sarah Moraga
- Isaac Oakes
- Elias Pariga
- Monica Perez
- Alexis Redd
- Sedona Richardson
- Dean Roeder
- Anthony Seitz
- Blaine Zimmer
NORTHLAND PIONEER COLLEGE ACADEMY FALL 2024
Lead Instructors: Bill Solomon and Lewis Noble
- Samuel Apetroaei
- Ben Blake
- Porter Cox
- Andrew Dick
- Christian Franco
- Luke Helvig
- Andre Hernandez
- Mykee Ivins
- Tyler Meek
- Zane Olson
- Destiny Preston
- Rylan Stapp
- Tami Wood
NORTHLAND PIONEER COLLEGE ACADEMY SPRING 2025
Lead Instructors: Bill Solomon and Lewis Noble=
- Aiyanna Amich
- Nathaniel Austin
- Austin Brown
- Klyer Craner
- Hans Darga
- Christopher Denklau
- Tyree Dickamore
- Suzanne Evans
- Michael Garguillo
- Ferlinda Joe
- Philmer Joe
- Malita Malone
- Carlos Moya
- Clay Pepper
- Aaron Shumway
- Esteban Nunez
- Twila Woodman
