Thirty-three recruits are scheduled to graduate from the 41st Heartland Fire Training Academy at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Sonrise Church in Santee, according to Patch. The ceremony follows three months of training.

Santee is among the agencies represented in the class, alongside Heartland Fire, San Miguel, Encinitas, Imperial Beach and Riverside. Recruits also represent departments serving the Viejas, Barona, Campo and La Jolla reservations.

The August-to-November program covered firefighting and emergency-response skills, including ladder work, rescue methods, hazardous materials incidents and live-fire exercises. Recruits demonstrated their training Oct. 15 at the Heartland Training Facility for family members, agency leaders and community representatives.

The academy brings together cities, fire districts and tribal departments across the county. Patch reported that Santee also credited San Diego River Conservancy grants with supporting training, equipment and other resources. Source: Patch.