PHX Reporter

Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) recently played a crucial 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 facilitated through its infrastructure and community support.

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 their 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 firefighters,” said Loretta Mondragon, associate dean of 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 firefighting efforts on the Boulder View Fire,” explained Michael Martin, Battalion Chief of Northwest District at Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. “Supporting fires in and near Carefree and Cave Creek has always been difficult due to lack of available resources. The use of the campus enabled our team to function relatively close to fire suppression efforts in the area. There are vital functions to support such large incidents such as cell and radio coverage along with internet access for daily activities off the fire line. I would like to extend my gratitude to Black Mountain Campus personnel for their support and flexibility which proved vital to our success at all levels.”

Paradise Valley Community College offers a robust Emergency Medical Technology and Fire Science program that includes education, training, skills development often recommended for career enhancement. Led by EMT and Paramedic Education Program Director Kevin Taussig and Fire Science Program Director David Sanchez along with an experienced group of instructors and dedicated staff, these accredited programs provide high-level education in emergency medical services and fire science. With countless years of combined experience, faculty bring a wealth of knowledge beneficial for students pursuing Fire Science or related certifications.