Our History

In 1999, Joan Elam, Principal and Lynda Schwarz, an Assistant Principal of James Monroe High School (JMHS), envisioned the creation of a fire academy on campus. Together with Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, Fire Chief William Bamattre and School Board Member Roberta Weintraub, the James Monroe High School's Michael McComb Fire Academy was created. 

Michael McComb was a graduate of Monroe High (Class of '68) who later became a firefighter for the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD).  During a rescue, he and other firefighters were transporting, via helicopter, some children who were involved in a car accident.  The helicopter crashed killing three of the firefighters and all of the children who were onboard. The Michael McComb Fire Academy was named in this alumni's honor.  Mayor Riordan and Chief Bamattre dedicated the fire academy to Michael McComb during the opening ceremonies. This is the first fire academy to be created in the Los Angeles Unified School District. 

Jeff Marciano was the first instructor of the academy. He worked with the Los Angeles Valley College which taught firefighter classes for the cadets.  The classes were held at the Frank Hotchkins Memorial Training Center, "the Tower", where Los Angeles city firefighters were trained.  The cadets experienced real firefighting training from real LAFD firefighters. 

In March 2004, Mr. Marciano accepted a position as a Los Angeles Firefighter.  At that time, Lynda Schwarz, now the principal at JMHS, asked Mrs. Judy Perkins to take over the program. Ms. Perkins had a strong desire to develop a strong program because her son is a Los Angeles County Firefighter.  With the support and guidance from her son and from Jeff Burgess, the Monroe High Police Academy instructor, the Michael McComb Fire Academy has developed into the strong program which trains over 90 cadets to begin their preparations to acquire careers in firefighting and other related services.