(Santa Ana) – Rancho Santiago Community College District has appointed Gary Dominguez as director of fire instruction at Santa Ana College (SAC).

In this role, Dominguez is responsible for all aspects of the college’s fire technology instruction. As commander of the Fire Academy, he oversees scheduling, staffing, admissions, graduation, compliance with and reporting of certification requirements. He also works closely with area fire departments to determine fire service training needs in Southern California.

The college is home to one the state’s largest and oldest fire technology programs. The SAC Fire Academy program is administered under the guidance of the Orange County Fire Chiefs’ Association and is nationally recognized as a premier fire-training program. This program meets the Orange County Fire Service standards and has been approved by the State Fire Marshal and the State Board of Fire Services as the First Accredited Regional Fire Academy in California.  The program’s standards far exceed the minimum qualifications and training required for California Firefighter I Certification.

Dominguez has more than 30 years experience in firefighting and fire instruction.  He has supported fire instruction at Santa Ana College since 1984. Most recently, he served as the interim director of the fire instruction.  Prior to that, he served as the fire officer training coordinator and co-commander of the Fire Academy. He has also instructed a range of classes in the Fire Academy, including self-contained breathing apparatus, search and rescue, hose, fire control, and more.

From 2010 to 2012, Dominguez served as fire chief of La Habra Heights Fire Department where he oversaw service delivery in the 120-member fire department. Prior to that, he was division chief in the Fullerton Fire Department. He first joined the Fullerton Fire Department in 1981 as a suppression firefighter and worked his way up the ranks to battalion chief and then division chief.

Dominguez holds an associate degree from Santa Ana College and a B.A. in vocational studies from California State University, Long Beach. He completed Daniel Freeman Paramedic School. He serves as vice chair of the California Fire Technology Directors Association.

About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin and Villa Park.  Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.