Some of the nearly two dozen Los Angeles Fire Department battalion chiefs who battled the Palisades Fire are UCLA Extension alums.
Fighting fires requires training, endurance, and, for battalion chiefs, good project management. Battalion chiefs are in charge of several fire stations and must allocate resources, coordinate efforts between their stations and crews and organize with other battalions when fighting large fires.
The 23 alumni battalion chiefs honed their skills and obtained certified associate project manager certificates through the project management professional exam preparation course within UCLA Extension in 2019. And their instructor was honored to have them.
“As the UCLA Extension instructor for the rigorous and intensive project management exam prep course, I was incredibly proud to deliver training to such a dedicated and intelligent group of firefighters, captains, and chiefs at the firefighters station of the Van Nuys Recruit and Training Section,” said instructor Vivian Taslakian, who is also the program director for the engineering department at UCLA Extension.
“Their passion for learning, combined with their wealth of experience, made for an engaging and dynamic class. It was truly an honor to guide these brave leaders through this challenging course, knowing that their commitment to excellence will leave a lasting impact on their teams and the community,” she added.
