Amarillo College is excited to announce that it will administer physical ability testing for anyone seeking admission to the AC Fire Academy, and that same day all aspiring climbers are invited to ascend the fire tower for a good cause.The dual-purpose activities will take place Saturday, Nov. 16 at AC’s multi-million-dollar First Responders Academy on Plains Boulevard – adjacent to the Arts in the Sunset – which features state-of-the-art equipment and a new fire tower.

Over the course of a multi-faceted 43-year career as a first responder and public-safety educator, Stephen Malley seems to have checked off every major item on his professional bucket list save one – the one that drew him to Amarillo College.

Malley, who since 2021 has served as coordinator of AC’s Fire Protection Technology program, will cross that last item off his list sometime this summer, when AC opens its new and long-awaited First Responders Academy.