World famous rock band chooses Hancock Fire Academy in Lompoc for grant award
Jarrod Zinn
LOMPOC, Calif. – A new batch of firefighter cadets have started training at Hancock’s Fire Academy in Lompoc.
And this year they’ve been awarded a grant from a world famous rock band.
Today is the second day of class work in Lompoc, but in a couple months they’ll be starting their active, hands-on demonstrations, drills and exercises at the interactive complex.
By then, they will have some brand-new personal protection equipment and other training materials, made possible by several sources of support including the All Within My Hands Foundation, started by the rock band Metallica.
The band has been providing grants like the Metallica Scholarship Initiative, which is what Hancock Fire Academy has received, for roughly seven years.
“Most everybody knows Metallica,” says Hancock Fire Academy Coordinator Leonard Champion. “Everybody knows what they bring to entertainment, to the music industry. So, yes, there is a little bit of a shock, when people say they’re donating $75,000 to help in scholarships and purchasing equipment.”
Instructors say it came as a complete but happy surprise that the foundation had chosen Hancock Fire Academy to apply for the grant in the first place, as they have specific criteria including quality of training and skill level at graduation.
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