GONZALES — Dominic Ferrante of the Gonzales Fire Department graduated from the Fire Academy and received the “Top Gun” Award.
Ferrante went through a four-day a week course at Monterey Peninsula College for 17 weeks. The course places high value on grooming, uniforms and morals similar to military training.
“It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” Ferrante said. “We got to see a lot of live fires or simulated burns that allowed us to test our skills.”
The firefighting course dealt with early morning physical training with mental testing as well. Ferrante would spend long nights polishing his boots and ironing uniforms while at the same time preparing for the next lesson, which did not leave much time for family and friends.
“It was a sacrifice that all of us made, and maintaining that discipline brought us together as a platoon to form bonds with each other that will last throughout our careers,” Ferrante said.
As a “Firefighter One Academy,” the course focuses on a well-rounded experience with automobile extrication, hazardous materials training and rapid intervention crew, which involved the rescue of down firefighters and wildland firefighting skills.
Ferrante received the “Top Gun Award” from his 20 classmates, an award that goes to a recruit who is believed to have gone beyond the call of duty to help the academy, instructors and recruits to be successful.
“This award is so special to me because it was voted on by the recruits,” Ferrante said. “With how many skilled and dedicated recruits we had in our graduating class, it was an honor that my fellow recruits chose me.”
Ferrante is original from the Bay Area with ties to Monterey County through his father and mother.
Ferrante’s father was raised in Monterey in a fishermen family in the 1930s and 1940s, catching sardines on Cannery Row.
Ferrante’s mother’s family were farmers in Gonzales.
Ferrante followed his agricultural roots on his mother’s side to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business with a concentration in management.
“Although I was enjoying my major classes, I took classes toward firefighting,” Ferrante said. “I enjoyed those classes so much that I took a summer to get my EMT certification.”
Ferrante returned to Gonzales and took a job as a volunteer for the Gonzales Fire Department.
Ferrante plans to continue to volunteer while gaining practical knowledge, practicing and improving his skills that he was taught through the MPC Firefighting Academy.
