A Family Tradition
Student of the Week: Jaden Contreras
“There’s a lot of things that I didn't know you had to think about as a firefighter until I started the program. For example, for a house fire, you must take into consideration the wind, the smoke conditions or if any doors are open. All that can lead to injury if people don’t notice those things so it’s important to understand it all.”
The South Texas College Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence is helping Jaden Contreras fulfill his dream of becoming a third-generation firefighter.
Contreras, 21, was recently hired by the Pharr Fire Department and was eligible to become certified at the time. With the support of the department, he entered STC’s Fire Academy to receive his Basic Firefighter Certification.
“I’ve always wanted to help people in some sense or way, and I think this is the best opportunity for me to do that,” Contreras said. “And, I’ve always been around firefighting. My dad's been a firefighter for 16 years and his dad was also a firefighter.”
Contreras said while he grew up with some knowledge of the responsibilities of a firefighter, STC is providing the extensive fire science education he needs to be successful in his firefighting career.
“It's a very physically demanding job,” Contreras said. “There’s a lot of things that I didn't know you had to think about as a firefighter until I started the program. For example, for a house fire, you must take into consideration the wind, the smoke conditions or if any doors are open. All that can lead to injury if people don’t notice those things so it’s important to understand it all.”
STC’s Fire Academy provides training to newly hired firefighters from local departments as well as ongoing training to current veteran firefighters who serve in either a professional or volunteer capacity.
Contreras said he appreciates his Fire Science Instructors Victor Fonseca and Oscar Rodriguez for providing a strong balance between lectures and hands-on training.
“I’m learning a lot here,” Contreras said. “Mr. Fonseca really explains everything in a way that helps us understand and retain the information, and Mr. Rodriguez shows us the easiest ways to do the hands-on stuff. Like, how to cut into a car or open a door if there’s a fire. That’s probably my favorite part, the hands-on activities.”
Contreras said he also values the support and camaraderie he’s seen at both the Pharr Fire Department and at STC’s Fire Academy housed at the Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence in Pharr.
“STC’s center for public safety offers a lot,” he said. “You have a librarian who is very helpful and always doing things to help the students. There’s a place to eat, a place to play games and a locker room. It's pretty nice here.”
Contreras graduated from Harlingen High School in 2020 and was studying Criminal Justice at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) before deciding to take a semester off from the university to pursue his Firefighter Certification.
“I have three semesters left to get my bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, so I plan to reapply to UTRGV right after I’m done with my certification,” Contreras said. “I want my degree along with being a firefighter.”
Contreras encourages others to pursue the Fire Academy and says he can even envision himself returning to the academy one day as an instructor.
“I would tell potential students to be ready for this to be your life for the next 16 weeks because the amount of reading and studying we do is pretty intense,” Contreras said. “But it’s giving me the chance to get a certification as a firefighter. I’m excited to be on the job and help people.”