03/29/2024
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By: Valerie Newton

On Thursday, May 26, in the Bladen County Superior Courtroom, 30 students from East Bladen and West Bladen High schools became the first graduates of the Bladen County Schools Firefighter Academy. This is also the first school system in the Eastern Region of the State to graduate students from the Firefighter Academy program of the North Carolina Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshall’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Career and Technical Education division.

Under the leadership of Chief Tim Tatum, East Bladen High School, and Chief Gary Estep, West Bladen High School, the students are now certified as Level II and III firefighters.

Students were presented their certifications by Chief Mike Edwards of the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Office of the State Fire Marshall. Dr. David Barbour of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Career and Technical Education division conferred the students as graduates of the 2016 Bladen County Schools Firefighter Academy.

Selected as the 2016 Firefighter of the Year from East Bladen High School was John Dean Alsup and from West Bladen High School was Sean Nunnery.

Selected as the 2016 Most Improved Firefighter of the Year from East Bladen High School was Robert Meggs and from West Bladen High School was Roberto Aguilar Aguilar.

East Bladen graduates were John Dean Alsup, Jason Register, Majesti Corbett, Autumn Lockamy, Robert Meggs, Zachary Johnson, Kysheem Lewis, Thomas Johnson III, Kristen Todd and serving as Chief Tim Tatum.

West Bladen graduates were Roberto Aguilar Aguilar, Alfredo Aguilar, Justin Best, Branden Carson, Noah Dillard, Trevor Feight, Wilber Gonzalez Guzman, William Hazel, Austin Hunsinger, Kayla Hunt, Bryan Locklear, Michael McLamb, Jodee Morphies, Sean Nunnery, Freddie Pait, Dayner Rodriguez Lopez, Brett Sasser, Joseph Simmons, Prestin Smith, Matthew Sturgill, Adolfo Saurez Perez and serving as Chief Gary Estep.

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