Twenty new firefighters joined the ranks of Joint Region Marianas Fire and Emergency Services during a graduation ceremony at the Rihga Royal Laguna Guam Resort in Tamuning. (Photo by Shaina Marie Oneal/Joint Region Marianas)
ASAN – Twenty new firefighters joined the ranks of Joint Region Marianas Fire and Emergency Services during a graduation ceremony at the Rihga Royal Laguna Guam Resort in Tamuning, Jan. 16.
The graduation follows 16 weeks of mission-focused International Fire Service Accreditation Certification courses, during which, students committed more than 1,200 class hours towards first-aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency vehicle operations, firefighting, and hazardous materials awareness training. Aside from classroom lessons, the graduates completed daily physical training which built discipline and resilience to ensure their preparation to respond to real-world emergencies.
“As government civilian firefighters serving Joint Region Marianas, you occupy a unique and critical role,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Patrick Dziekan, JRM chief of staff. “You protect lives, infrastructure, and mission capability across a joint military environment. Your response may support service members, civilians, families, visiting forces, and the surrounding island community. When the alarm sounds, the distinctions disappear—what matters is readiness, teamwork, and action.”
Graduates also took the time to recognize their leadership and fellow firefighters for their support during the course.
“These past five months have been filled with long nights of studying, testing, and days of grueling PT,” said Ryan Dela Cruz, lead for Class 2025-01. “I believe all of us [graduates] can agree – that this has been a true test of our academic, mental, and physical abilities.”
Dela Cruz thanked his fellow graduates for their commitment to the program and to each other.
“The brotherhood we built amongst each other is unmatched,” he said. “Teamwork and camaraderie is a huge factor going through an academy like this. I’m very thankful and blessed to have a team filled with guys that are motivated, hardworking, and willing to give their all when it matters most.”
JRM maintains comprehensive mutual aid agreements for fire, emergency medical services, and security, among others, fostering cooperation between U.S. Armed Forces and civilian authorities in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
