ROCKETT ACADEMY: INSPIRING AND PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION FOR A CAREER IN EMERGENCY SERVICES

By Brittany Hart Scholten

The Darren Rockett Youth Cadet Program (AKA Rockett Academy), named in honor of firefighter Darren Rockett, has become a unique program for young people in Long Beach and surrounding cities. It gives teens unprecedented hands-on experience and shows them that careers in emergency services are within reach, even for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Photo of Rockett Academy submitted by LBFD

“The biggest goal for me is just that they gain confidence in themselves and understand that they can attain anything they want to if they put the work in,” says Captain Dennis Garrett, and the program’s current coordinator.

The Academy’s roots trace back to the early 2000's, when Los Angeles County’s Rescue Youth Program connected at-risk youth with firefighters as mentors. Students, often from foster care or troubled homes, were referred by school counselors to receive guidance, homework help, and mentorship. Though that program eventually lost funding, Darren Rockett’s vision inspired a local version in 2004. After Rockett’s untimely death, Captain Garrett and other firefighters revived the initiative as a tribute, expanding access to high school students in the Long Beach Unified School District.

Today, the Rockett Academy invites 9th-12th graders to hands-on sessions at the David Rose Regional Training Center. Participants practice basic fireground skills, from handling hoses and ladders to utilizing full firefighting gear. Captain Garrett emphasizes teamwork, responsibility, and trust. He shared, “Even though they’re hesitant, not a single child has said ‘No, I don’t want to do this.’ By the end, they’re so proud of themselves.”

The program has grown steadily, now running once a month for ten months, preparing students for the Long Beach Search and Rescue program. Early graduates have gone on to serve as ambulance operators or join Search and Rescue teams, showing a clear path from mentorship to careers in emergency services.

For Captain Garrett, the academy is about more than skills; it’s about opportunity. “If you want to do something, you can do it. You just have to put yourself in that position,” he says. In honoring Rockett’s legacy, the academy continues to inspire the next generation of first responders, opening doors for students who might never have imagined a career in firefighting.

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For up-to-date information on the Darren Rockett Youth Cadet Program, check websites: lbfdcalendar.org/event and longbeach.gov/events or email: joinLBFD@longbeach.gov.