Allan Hancock College Fire Academy instructor retires after more than 30 years of service

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Allan Hancock College Fire Academy Coordinator Andy Densmore is retiring after more than 30 years of service with the academy. Hundreds of firefighters who trained at the academy have gone on to work for local agencies and beyond.

“Andy is a legend in the firefighting community,” said Mitch McCann, associate dean for Hancock’s Public Safety Training Complex (PSTC) in Lompoc. “His leadership has impacted our entire college and will be missed by not only the men and women of public safety training but the entire firefighting community.”

Densmore graduated from Hancock's fire academy in 1978. He spent 30 years as a firefighter for Lompoc Fire Department.

Densmore began working on staff at the college’s fire academy in 1987, and has served as the AHC Fire Academy’s coordinator for the last 11 years.

“The impact that Andy has had on the fire service in our community cannot be overstated,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers.

While his students and coworkers used terms like “iconic” and “legend” to describe his contributions to the academy, Densmore used his remarks during the graduation to thank the academy instructors and staff for their hard work supporting the firefighting program.

“We have the best instructors and staff in the state here,” said Densmore. “They get all the credit. They take their time to share their knowledge with our recruits, so they can learn things they can’t learn anywhere else.”

To learn more about the AHC Fire Academy, visit www.hancockcollege.edu/pstc/fire