What it takes to make the line

In the middle of Doña Ana Fire Rescue’s academy, Daniel Flores was navigating more than just the demands of training. 

In December, during one of the most difficult stretches of the program, his mother died. The loss came at a time when the academy was already pushing recruits to their limits, forcing him to decide whether he could continue. He did. 

For 23 weeks, the 14 cadets in Doña Ana Fire Rescue’s academy lived a routine that left little room for anything else — early mornings, long days and late nights that pushed them to their limits. Time outside of training slipped away, replaced by physical demands, hours of study, and the constant pressure to keep up.  

The pay off came when 14 cadets graduated from the Doña Ana Fire Rescue academy, closing out months of demanding training and stepping into a profession that asks far more than most people ever see. 

“You have to give up your life for those six months,” Captain Celso Enciso said. “Birthdays, events, time with family — all of that takes a back seat if you want to succeed.” 

The academy stretched across nearly half a year, pushing recruits through a wide range of certifications, including EMT training, hazardous materials response, vehicle extrication and wildfire operations. The workload alone tested each cadet, but instructors said the greater challenge came from maintaining the consistency required to make it through. 

“The hardest part of the academy is definitely the motivation to be here each and every day,” Training Lt. Zach Ore said. “It’s long days.” 

That pressure played out differently across the class. Alan Gomez entered the program after working construction for his father’s company, trading a familiar routine for one that demanded constant adjustment. The pace of learning, particularly during EMT training, forced him to stay locked in. 

“It is a lot to digest in a short amount of time,” Gomez said. 

What helped him push through, he said, was the group around him. Study sessions became collaborative, and classmates leaned on each other when the material or the pace became overwhelming. 

Bianca Garcia came into the academy from a different path, previously working from home as an insurance agent while raising her children as a single mother. Balancing the demands of training with time away from her kids proved to be one of the biggest challenges, especially as the schedule pulled her away from games and daily routines that she was used to being part of. 

“It means a lot,” Garcia said of graduating. “It goes to show other females that they can do it.” 

Daniel Flores carried that loss through the remainder of the academy, continuing training during one of its most demanding stretches. 

“Graduating just means, you know, I did it for her,” Flores said. 

Moments like that, Ore said, often go unseen but shape the experience as much as any drill or exam. Recruits were pushed mentally as well as physically, placed under pressure so they could learn to stay focused in situations where others might panic. 

“We don’t make it easy on them,” Ore said. “We get in their heads, because when they’re out there on a call, there’s no room to panic.” 

That preparation becomes critical as cadets move into the field. 

Enciso said the department has seen growing demand, including recent changes that expanded internal patient transport, increasing the need for staffing across rescue units and fire stations. Still, both he and Ore emphasized that the job requires more than technical ability, and for Enciso, the foundation starts with character. 

“We don’t make soldiers,” he said. “We make people who have compassion and accountability and people who are willing to learn.” 

By the end of the academy, Ore said, that development was clear. 

“I see growth,” he said. “A lot of growing up.”