The City of Lake Charles, Lake Charles Fire Department (LCFD) and the Calcasieu Parish School Board (CPSB) are announcing a new partnership that will establish a High School Fire Academy.

The program, set to start in the fall of 2025, will be housed at the College Street Vocational Center and will be coupled with a Criminal Justice Course that directly focuses on the fields of law, public safety, corrections and security.

“We are always thrilled to announce new partnerships, but this one in particular, I am extremely excited to see coming to fruition,” said Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter. “When Chief Delton Carter originally presented the idea of a High School Fire Academy, I was intrigued. He has done an incredible job of investigating other similar programs across the state and working with CPSB officials to map out a solid game plan for this program that will offer students a new opportunity to complete high school with a great career ahead of them.”

The program will run five days a week, with Monday, Wednesday and Friday serving as the Fire Academy and Tuesday and Thursday servicing as the Criminal Justice component.

“We are excited to add this incredible opportunity to our already robust course list for high school students,” said CPSB Superintendent Dr. Jason VanMetre. “First responders are the backbone of our communities, and we are proud to partner with the City and the Lake Charles Fire Department in this endeavor for our students.”

The pilot program is open to all juniors and seniors enrolled in a CPSB school.

“The fire service is steeped in a proud tradition focused on the protection of life and property,” said LCFD Chief Delton Carter. “We stand ready to welcome a new generation of firefighters to answer the call to serve their community. LCFD is proud to lead the way in facilitating a program that will allow high school students to earn their basic firefighter certification. This is an incredible opportunity for our youth to pursue a career that gives back to our community.”

Students interested in this pilot program should email cte@cpsb.org. A Career Coach will assist with getting the students scheduled through their school.