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Palm Bay High School’s new firefighting academy is serious business — and not just because, as instructor Chester Bombriant quipped, “everything in that classroom could hurt you.” It’s also a college-level course, and it’s the first of its kind in Brevard County.

About 100 students are in the program. On Friday, some of them saw their new classroom for the first time along with school administrators, local firefighters and reporters. 

The program will give students a head start at a well-paying career, and could help address a local shortage of firefighters, officials said. The course is designed to prepare students for the fire fighting program at Eastern Florida State, and eventually their state certifications.

“They're going to be doing for the first two or three years here before they get over there,” Bombriant said. “So that in itself is just huge, as far as I'm concerned, for a child, a student and their academic career.”

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Bombriant is a retired firefighter who served 20 years in Palm Bay and five in Polk County. He’s also a Palm Bay High School graduate — his wife was his high school sweetheart.

Safety is, Bombriant said,  paramount in his classroom. Comradery is a close second.

“This isn't a class where they're going to come in sit there not know the student's name in the back row or the next row,” Bombriant said. “They have to know each other, because just like in the real fire service, they’ve got each other's back.”

The program hit a snag last year when Rep. Randy Fine declined to have a bill that would fund the academy heard in front of the K-12 education subcommittee. Fine said at the time that the Florida House would not be interested in funding any requests from Brevard and other school districts that required students to wear masks in fall 2021 against the state’s wishes. But with the support of Rep. Tyler Sirois and Senator Debbie Mayfield, the program received full state funding.

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It also received significant support from the community; Melbourne Fire Department donated about $100,000 of used equipment to the academy

“Graciously, they just gave it to us,” Bombriant said. “And it’s all different sizes of every kind, so it can fit just about every student. We can outfit about 50 kids right now thanks to Melbourne Fire Department.”

Bombriant brought some gear of his own. One of the helmets is Bombriant’s retired helmet, covered in the hardened remnants of some sort of molten black gunk that dripped onto him during his first structure fire. Another is his father’s.

But only a third of the equipment that students will need to use is currently in the classroom, Bombriant said. More is on the way.

The students looked giddy as they slipped on the uniforms for the first time. They posed for the cameras, and Bombriant showed them how to fasten the jackets. They’ll need to learn how to put those on in 60 seconds, a watching firefighter remarked.

“These young men and women have already said, ‘Hey, I want to think about public service as my career, but more importantly, as my contribution to my community,’” Superintendent Mark Mullins said. “We applaud you all, each of you, for taking advantage of the opportunity.”

Bombriant called the opportunity to continue his career at his alma mater "a dream."

"I probably met my wife about 30 feet away and here we are, full circle back again," Bombriant said. "And I can't tell you how much enough I appreciate that, from the bottom of my heart."

Bailey Gallion is the education reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallion at 321-242-3786 or bgallion@floridatoday.com.