HORACE LANGFORD, JR. / PVT Graduating Pahrump Valley Fire Rescue Cadets Shannon Brecik and Nate Alexander present Fire Chief Scott Lewis with a plaque expressing their gratitude to the fire department and the academy staff. Advertisement

The nine graduates of the Pahrump Valley Fire Rescue Service Academy Class 2007-01 began their last day as cadets and their first day as firefighters by striking the colors one last time Sunday, April 6.

They were the few left after several grueling months of training long before the sun had risen and long after they were tired.

"I told them on the first day my job was to get rid of some of them," Ron Feldshau, volunteer coordinator (or master sergeant to the cadets), said. "We worked them."

Feldshau told the family and friends gathered in the fire station training room a little about their training, which went beyond physical strength, endurance and medical training.

He explained how at first he would put a note on the board of the training room board and later ask a question to see if the cadets had read it.

"At first they didn't read it, and it cost them sit-ups," Feldshau said.

He explained he had done that to teach the cadets to be observant because at a fire site they would always have to be aware of everything going on around them.

"One thing I told them I'd give them was to start off proud of themselves," Feldshau said. "That was given to me, and they have that now."

Lt. Anita Smith told those gathered how the cadets had to traverse mazes blindfolded, retrieve a "victim" and then make their way back out.

After a video slideshow of the cadets training, she paid them the ultimate compliment:

"I would go into a structure fire with any one of you," Smith said.

"I can say one thing, the cadets are here because they earned it," Smith told the cadets' loved ones.

Valedictorian Nate Alexander let the cat out of the bag during his speech, confessing that despite Smith's discouragement, the cadets managed to get a water fight in.

"We learned that a hose is no match against a deck gun," Alexander said.

"We developed the tools to be a firefighter," Alexander continued. "And that wasn't an axe, a hose, or hammers -- it's teamwork. Today we stand before you a team. A team of nine dedicated firefighters."

To thank Fire Chief Scott Lewis, Smith, and Feldshau, Alexander and Shannon Brecik presented a plaque to the fire department and the academy staff.

Lewis also addressed the cadets (pointing out he'd known nothing about the water fight), telling them that although firefighters are sometimes construed as heroes, "I think you become heroes the moment you decide to become a firefighter."

And so, after learning teamwork and the level of their own endurance, the fire rescue service welcomed nine new firefighters to its ranks.